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Motlanthe defends ANC candidate selection as fair and thorough

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Ongoing: Elections Hot

Former president Kgalema Motlanthe, who headed the ANC elections committee, said all internal procedures and vetting steps were followed. Some members complained that they were unfairly removed from candidate lists. He said the credibility of the process was "indeed intact".

Motlanthe spoke on the sidelines of the Drakensberg Inclusive Growth Forum, which his foundation hosted. Asked about the removed members, he said: "The process, the procedures, the guidelines were very clear".

He also spoke about the candidate lists sent to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). Motlanthe said 97% of constituency candidates were submitted as required. He said 181 names were uploaded on the IEC website without the final submit button being clicked. He said the ANC missed the chance to submit its lists and had to go through the Constitutional Court.

Motlanthe said parties should campaign all the time and not rely on costly last-minute mobilisation. At the forum he also said South Africa should invest revenue from its minerals in infrastructure, industrialisation and skills. He said the country should consider a sovereign wealth fund. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Trade Minister Parks Tau attended the three-day forum.

Key facts

Who
Kgalema Motlanthe (Former president; former ANC secretary-general; head of the ANC elections…); Enoch Godongwana (Finance minister; attended the forum); Parks Tau (Minister of trade, industry & competition; attended the forum); Valli Moosa (Former minister; attended the forum)
What
Motlanthe, who headed the ANC elections committee, told the Sunday Times that the candidate-selection process was thorough and fair and that the credibility of the process was 'indeed intact'. He also commented on the IEC candidate-list registration problems, the need for continuous party structures, and economic policy at the Drakensberg Inclusive Growth Forum.
When
31 October 2026
Where
Drakensberg, South Africa
Status
Reported

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