The demand for academic qualifications, as the basis on which politicians or public representatives are chosen by the governing party, was one of the major developments of this year’s local government elections. This development correctly ignited a debate on whether university degrees should gain such prominence in the selection of ANC mayoral candidates.
While the intention was to select the most suitable public representatives, the debate lends itself to extreme positions that could lead to narrow and parochial selection filters that render the political process a technical and administrative nightmare.