The ANC will tighten control over mayoral candidate selection for the 2026 local elections, with Fikile Mbalula saying candidates must demonstrate competence, undergo interviews and pass a strict “eye of the needle” process
Image: ANC / X
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the party will introduce a stricter, centralised vetting system for the selection of mayoral candidates ahead of the 2026 local government elections, in a move aimed at ensuring that only individuals with proven skills and capacity are deployed to run municipalities.
Speaking at a media briefing this week following the African National Congress (ANC)’s recent National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, Mbalula said the new approach forms part of the party’s preparations for the 2026 polls and reflects a shift towards tighter control over leadership deployment in key municipalities.
He said the ANC would no longer treat mayoral appointments as a routine electoral outcome, but as strategic deployments requiring careful assessment, particularly in metros and secondary cities where budgets are large, and service delivery pressures are high.
“If you want to become a mayor, you are a good South African. You agree with the ANC policies and support the ANC. Being a citizen, you will equally accept membership of the ANC. You will avail yourself, and on the basis of that, you will then be considered for participation,” Mbalula said.
He said community participation remained part of the party’s broader candidate selection process, which had been used in councillor selection over the past two election cycles.
“This has happened in all our processes of selecting councillors; we started this in the last two elections. All our councillors' selection processes involve what is called community participation. So this is not new,” he said.
Mbalula said communities had historically been involved in identifying candidates to contest elections under the ANC banner, describing it as part of the party’s grassroots decision-making approach.
“We’ve got people who are councillors in our communities, who are a true embodiment of people's consultation and engagement in South Africa, and the community says, we want this candidate to be our candidate under the banner of our vehicle, called the African National Congress,” he said.
However, he said the selection of mayors for the 2026 elections would now be centralised through what the party calls “central control of mayors”, a decision mandated by the ANC’s National General Council (NGC) and NEC.
He said the change reflects the importance of municipal governance in shaping local economies and delivering services.
“If you look at the budgets of the country, in particular the metros and the secondary cities, it is huge. And that is what shaped the local economy in the different provinces,” he said.
Mbalula said mayoral candidates would be required to pass what the party describes as going through “the eye of the needle”, a rigorous screening process intended to ensure competence, integrity and leadership capability.
“So you will need a person who has gone through the eye of the needle, with all capabilities that that individual can possess, to run a city like Johannesburg, rather than just leave it to chance,” he said.
He said the process would combine public participation with internal recruitment of skilled individuals capable of managing complex municipalities.
“That is why we infused centrality, popular participation, but at the same time, headhunting that looks also to people who have got skills and capacity to run these cities and drive development and service delivery in those cities,” Mbalula said.
He said prospective candidates would be required to present detailed proposals and demonstrate their understanding of the municipalities they aim to lead.
“These people, we expect them to present their manifestos, among others, when they come to us. Your understanding of the city you are contesting, and what you think you are capable of doing,” he said.
Mbalula said the ANC’s top seven leaders would conduct interviews with shortlisted candidates and that the party expected to publicly announce its mayoral candidates by June 26.
“And by June 26, we will make public all our mayors in the different cities who will campaign for the African National Congress,” he said.
He added that residents from those municipalities would be prioritised in the selection process.
“Of course, we will prioritise the residents of those cities to lead in this particular instance,” Mbalula said.
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