ANC in vetting drive to weed out deadweight councillors for 2026 polls

North West PEC eager to show it can police its backyard

- By Mandisa Nyathi

In an unprecedented political shake-up designed to isolate poor candidates for the make-or-break municipal elections next year, ANC councillors in North West are due to be subjected to a strict vetting process as the governing party, bruised and battered from electoral losses, aims to claw back lost ground.

ANC provincial chairperson Nono Maloyi told Sunday World in an interview this week that the era of invisible, self-serving councillors is over, adding that the provincial executive committee (PEC) has resolved that every councillor must face rigorous performance scrutiny.

“Every councillor will be assessed. Those who have failed in their responsibilities or brought the organisation into disrepute will not return,” said Maloyi.

The vetting will include consultations with communities, ANC branches, and structures of the tripartite alliance. Councillors will also be asked to account for their performance before final decisions are made.

To demonstrate decisiveness, Maloyi shared that the PEC has since written to the ANC’s national executive committee, asking for support to dissolve the Mamusa local municipality in Schweizer-Reneke and appoint an administrator until fresh elections are held.