The African National Congress Norman Mashabane Regional Secretary, Sonia Maswanganyi.
The African National Congress in the Norman Mashabane region has issued a final warning to all local election candidates who do not have a high school certificate. Party leaders must either sign a promise to get their qualifications within one year or face immediate removal from the election list.
The official decision was communicated in a letter sent by Regional Secretary Sonia Maswanganyi on Monday. The letter states that the ANC Electoral Committee has officially rejected every request to waive the high school requirement for candidates who lack a Grade 12 certificate.
This means that no candidate will be allowed to bypass the rule. Local leaders in the region, which covers areas Tzaneen, Maruleng, Letaba, Giyani and Phalaborwa had previously asked the election body to make an exception for experienced members who never finished high school. The rejection forces every candidate without a diploma to quickly follow strict new instructions if they wish to keep their political spots.
According to the new rules, all affected candidates must submit a written and signed pledge. In this signed promise, the candidate must commit to obtaining a Grade 12 certificate or an equivalent accredited qualification at NQF Level 4 or higher within twelve months of taking office as an ANC councillor.
Candidates who fail to submit this written pledge will be removed from the ballot. The leadership confirmed that any candidate who does not meet the requirement will be replaced by another party member.
The timetable for compliance is extremely tight. Candidates were instructed to send their signed pledge forms to the regional secretary by 18:00 on August 24. These forms will then be submitted directly to the Provincial List Committee Administrator. The final cut off time for the provincial committee to process these pledges is 17:00 on August 25.
The new directive also applies to candidates who completed high school but cannot find their original paperwork. Those who have misplaced their Grade 12 certificates are required to sign a official commitment stating the exact date when they will provide the missing documents to the party.
The strict measure aims to raise the standard of local governance by ensuring that all local representatives meet basic educational standards. Local councillors oversee municipal budgets, basic service delivery, and public infrastructure projects. Party officials believe that requiring an NQF Level 4 qualification will ensure that leaders have the skills required to manage public funds and serve their communities effectively.
Branch secretaries and sub regional coordinators across the Norman Mashabane region are now working to ensure that all local ward candidates fulfil these requirements before the final deadline passes. Replacement candidates are already being considered for any wards where current nominees refuse or fail to sign the pledge.