The ANC has started the process of selecting candidates going to Parliament and provincial legislatures, but those with criminal records, facing charges in court, and party disciplinary action will not qualify.
The ANC said it started with the training of branch leaders in three provinces this week and will continue with other provinces on the selection criteria.
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri and member of the ANC’s Electoral Committee chief Livhuwani Matsila said candidates would have to have to post-Matric qualifications, undertake four compulsory modules at the OR Tambo School of Leadership and have experience and expertise to stand for elections.
Bhengu-Motsiri said this will be a very robust way to select candidates to go to Parliament and provincial legislatures.
She said the candidates must not have a criminal record, must not face charges from the National Prosecuting Authority or have fallen foul of the ANC and are facing disciplinary charges.
Matsila said this process will culminate in provincial list conferences and the national list conference.
He said while the process bars candidates who are facing charges in court, it excludes those who are privately prosecuted.
This is meant to protect the ANC against those abusing private prosecution.
Former president Jacob Zuma filed a private prosecution case against his successor Cyril Ramaphosa on the eve of the ANC conference in December.
The case was thrown out by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg a few months ago.
Zuma had accused Ramaphosa of failing to act against NPA senior prosecutor Billy Downer SC for allegedly leaking his medical records.
But the High Court rejected Zuma’s application.
Matsila said ANC candidates facing private prosecution will not be barred from standing as candidates either in the national legislature or provincial legislatures.
“This is just to safeguard the ANC and its members from abuse from private prosecution to try and exclude others on the basis of such a process.
“No candidate is eligible for nomination if he or she is temporarily suspended pending the outcome of a court case or disciplinary hearing,” said Matsila.
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