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The ANC has introduced a post-matric qualification as a minimum requirement for candidates to become the new premier of North West in the race to replace incumbent Job Mokgoro, setting the bar higher than usual and possibly triggering a new process that would exclude many aspirants for public office among its ranks, unless they shape up and go back to school.
A range of well-known ANC public representatives held short-term certificates and others held one-year certificates mainly in governance studies.
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On Tuesday, the ANC interviewed three candidates for the North West premier post, including speaker of the provincial legislature Susan Dantjie, Finance MEC Motlalepula Rosho and party veteran Bushy Maape. The interviews were initially scheduled for last weekend, but were postponed.
“One of the questions that they were asked was on governance and whether the ANC could improve its service delivery record in the province,” party insiders told City Press.
They also looked at academic qualifications and the candidate’s history in the organisation, said the source. Another insider said candidates had to “confirm their qualifications and almost all the questions were centred on governance, including their expertise and capabilities to run a provincial government”.
The source said:
When the ANC interim provincial committee tasked with rebuilding party structures in the province submitted its preferred list of candidates last month, in order of ranking, Dantjie was leading the pack, followed by Rosho and then Maape.
However, City Press has learnt that the interviews tipped the scale in favour of Rosho and Maape. Dantjie’s lobby this week spoke of Maape being a favourite, indicating that they had lost hope in their candidate being successful.
Had the governing party applied the new criteria of a post-matric qualification during the 2016 local government elections, most mayors would not have made the cut. Those with the relevant qualifications within the party were upbeat that the new standard should also apply to MECs and even ministers at national level.
READ: Mokgoro saga: those who want North West premier out now want his job
“This changes the playing field. In North West, we have 22 municipalities and my suspicion is that not more than four of these mayors would have a post-matric qualification,” said a high-ranking provincial leader.
The meaning of 'post-matric qualification'
“We are very lean and the process that the ANC is introducing means that the space is getting closed,” said the person.
But the SA Qualifications Authority suggested this week that it may not be that easy, and the ANC may have to thoroughly thrash out the meaning of “post-matric qualification”.
“We no longer speak about ‘matric’ as this specifically refers to the matriculation exemption pass that pupils who wrote the senior certificate exam before 1992 could have obtained,” said executive for governance, people and strategy Nireen Naidoo.
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Naidoo said the preferred term was “post-school-leaving” qualification, which is at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level 4.
“This may refer to any qualification obtained outside of the schooling system as we know it. For example, pupils who qualified with a ‘bachelor’s’ pass and gain entry to a university, could enrol for a diploma or bachelor’s degree at NQF level 6 or 7 [and sometimes 8], respectively.”
She said that “other pupils studying at other types of institutions may enrol for higher certificates, or even occupational qualifications such as a higher occupational certificate at NQF level 5, or an occupational diploma at NQF level 6”.
The deciding factor on what a “post-school-leaving qualification is ultimately lies with the entry requirements for the qualification. If the qualification requires a NQF level 4 qualification, then it is generally post-school-leaving.”
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