The ANC electoral committee has rejected formal waivers for councillor candidates without matric, but is allowing them to remain conditionally if they sign a pledge to obtain matric or an accredited NQF level 4 qualification within 12 months of becoming councillors. The pledge deadline is close of business on Tuesday, which coincides with the party’s national executive committee (NEC) meeting to finalise its candidate list for the local government elections. The party is facing a deadline to submit candidates to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) by August 28. The ANC’s electoral committee, headed by former president Kgalema Motlanthe, said in a letter dated August 24 it had rejected requests from provincial structures seeking waivers for candidates without matric qualifications. It said none of the candidates met the criteria for a waiver under rules approved by the NEC, and the recommendations did not demonstrate exceptional attributes that would justify retaining them over other available candidates.Rather than removing all affected candidates immediately, the committee has offered a conditional route which includes that candidates must commit to acquiring a matric qualification or accredited qualification at NQF level 4 or higher within a year of becoming an ANC councillor. They must submit a written and signed pledge through their provincial list committee.“Candidates who do not submit the written and signed pledges through the PLC [provincial list committee] by 5pm on August 25 2026 must be immediately removed and replaced on the candidate lists,” according to the letter signed by Motlanthe.The intervention adds another layer to a contested candidate selection process as the ANC races to complete its lists before the IEC deadline. The party’s NEC is due to hold an extended meeting on Tuesday to deal with outstanding issues, including the finalisation of candidate lists submitted by provincial structures.The ANC has also been under pressure over its handling of mayoral candidates after it abandoned plans to announce its preferred candidates over the weekend. The party’s mayoral choices are determined separately from the councillor candidate lists that must be submitted to the IEC.The party’s candidate process is being closely watched ahead of the November 4 local government elections in which the governing party faces a tough contest in several municipalities.Business Day