JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — The African National Congress (ANC) has officially unveiled its shortlisted mayoral candidates for the upcoming 2026 local government elections, marking a strategic pivot toward proven capability and strict municipal accountability. ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula emphasized that this rigorous selection process is designed to identify leaders who can restore public trust and fix struggling municipalities, though the party noted that these are not yet the final appointments, with the ultimate candidates expected to be confirmed in September.
Describing the candidate search as a “hard but honest process,” Mbalula revealed the extensive scale of the vetting procedure. More than 1,500 individuals were initially considered through various nomination streams. This pool was narrowed down to a long list of 532 names, which was then filtered through the movement’s own stringent standards—described as passing through the “eye of the needle.” The resulting shortlist features 123 candidates, 54% of whom are women. Mbalula highlighted that these individuals bring diverse, practical skill sets to the table, ranging from law and nursing to technical expertise and community work.
The process began with a focus on the Eastern Cape, specifically highlighting Buffalo City, but the scrutiny applies nationwide. Mbalula stressed that grassroots structures played a vital role, noting that party branches and local communities “were not spectators” in this evaluation.
To ensure tangible improvements, the ANC has outlined seven minimum commitments that its prospective mayors must pledge to deliver. These include: ensuring reliable water and working sanitation; keeping the lights on; maintaining honest billing alongside a funded budget; achieving a clean audit and an end to wasteful spending; guaranteeing regular refuse collection; filling potholes and restoring the public realm; and providing affordable public transport, local jobs, safety, and responsiveness, ensuring a municipality that answers when its people call.
The party was candid about the current state of local governance, refusing to shy away from existing realities. Mbalula acknowledged that several municipalities are currently unable to pay their bills or maintain basic infrastructure, while others are plagued by leadership instability, poor management, corruption, and financial wastage. The new selection framework was explicitly designed to confront these failures by rigorously testing candidates on their grasp of service delivery, municipal finances, and their actionable plans to turn struggling administrations around.
This heightened scrutiny will be particularly focused on some of the country’s largest metropolitan areas, including the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, the City of Tshwane, and the City of Johannesburg, where residents will be closely evaluating whether the ANC’s choices can rebuild public confidence. All shortlisted nominees will participate in the upcoming election campaign, which Mbalula clarified will be a collective effort led by a group of candidates rather than a single individual.
However, winning the election is only the first hurdle. Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized that the party intends to hold its mayors strictly accountable to measurable targets once they assume office. He noted that those finally identified as mayors will be kept on a “radar screen” by the party’s leadership troika, including the national chairperson.
“Their actions, their activities, and their programs will be on that radar screen,” Ramaphosa stated, adding that the national leadership will monitor exactly what is happening in each municipality and measure performance against pre-set indicators.
Ultimately, the ANC asserts that it has moved beyond selecting candidates based on political entitlement, focusing instead on demonstrable capability. Nevertheless, the party recognizes that the final test lies at the ballot box. It will be the voters who make the ultimate choice in the 2026 local government elections, deciding whether to grant the ANC another mandate based on the tangible realities and improvements they see in their own communities.
