Following the ANC national executive committee (NEC) meeting this past weekend, ANC electoral committee chairperson Kgalema Motlanthe announced that candidates must undergo criminal record and qualification vetting. They must also submit financial and other interest declarations, and consent to a lifestyle audit or other investigation by reputable accounting and legal firms.

Similar commitments have been made in the past without meaningful results, said Prof. Kedibone Phago. The latest announcement does not signify a new approach.

“The issue of subjecting members to all these processes has always been there, with no positive outcome. It looks like every time ANC NEC reflects and wants to intervene, it always comes up with (the) same script that it will be conducting lifestyle audits, checking criminal records of people who are contesting for leadership. 

“There’s nothing new in what former president Motlanthe said.”

Desperate times call for desperate measures as the elections draw near. “(The) ANC is doing everything it can to continue serving in some of the councils. I don’t think this is going to be sufficient because local governance is really the actual battleground for power.” 

He doubted whether the ANC has what it takes to elevate itself as a party “that will win the hearts of South Africans in the coming months because we are experiencing a lot of socio-economic problems”.

Residents across numerous municipalities continue to face crippling service delivery failures, including unreliable water and electricity supply, irregular waste collection, and collapsed sewage systems. These crises are rooted in persistent financial mismanagement, deteriorating infrastructure, political instability, and shortages of qualified personnel.

Public frustrations over these ongoing problems have intensified pressure on local governments ahead of the 2026 elections, where municipal performance is expected to play a decisive role in voter sentiment.

Meanwhile, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula recently announced the party’s national working committee had endorsed the reconfiguration of municipalities in the Free State as part of a broader local government action plan. 

The committee decided to intervene in seven municipalities where underperformance has continued for years.

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OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh