Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane on Tuesday challenged the African National Congress (ANC) to name its premier candidates for all nine provinces ahead of next month's general elections.

"It does appear to me they have something to hide," he claimed at a media briefing in Cape Town, while introducing the opposition party's premier candidates.

Maimane said that some people on the ANC's lists should not be in Parliament or provincial legislatures, but rather in jail.

"With just over two weeks to go until the election, take the voters into your confidence and tell them exactly who they will be getting with a vote for the ANC."

News24 reported that the ANC was forced to refer its lists to its integrity commission, following criticism of some of the names included, some of whom were implicated in corruption and state capture.

Cyril Ramaphosa on posters

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) rejected 29 objections raised against some of the names on the ANC's candidate lists for the National Assembly and provincial legislatures.

Maimane unveiled a billboard in Strand Street, Cape Town, on Tuesday morning, which announced Alan Winde as the Western Cape premier candidate. Underneath his photo, the billboard reads: "ANC Western Cape premier candidate?".

Winde pointed out that ANC posters in the province had Cyril Ramaphosa on them.

"Quite frankly, Cyril Ramaphosa is not going to be the person who gets elected to this provincial parliament."

Winde said the DA was the best bet for voters if they did not want an ANC/EFF coalition to run the Western Cape. 

'It's not about being scared'

ANC Western Cape elections head Ebrahim Rasool told News24 that a lack of focus on their premier candidate was not a unique phenomenon. 

"The last time the ANC made known their premier candidates before the election was in 1999. We first need to sense that we have won the province, and then the premier candidates are decided. It's not about being scared," he said.

Rasool said the DA had to answer why they had chosen Winde, and not Western Cape leader Bonginkosi Madikizela, as the province's premier candidate.

"The premature announcement of Alan Winde... will demobilise support in the African areas," he claimed, adding that the ANC was well informed because it was on the ground in places such as Khayelitsha.

Rasool said using the "scare tactic" of an ANC/EFF coalition was a "clear sign of desperation" and that the DA should set an example by breaking off any coalitions it had with the EFF in other metros.

Diversity

With only two women among the DA premier candidates, Maimane was asked if he felt his team was diverse enough.

He replied that he was "comfortable" with the diversity, adding that he would want more women, but would not set a quota for them as he did not believe in quotas.

The premier candidates were the outcome of a fair, transparent and rigorous process, he said.

Crucially, he wanted every citizen to research each candidate, engage with them and hold them accountable, even before being elected.

He asked each of the candidates to sign a job pledge, committing them to goals such as reducing red tape, improving internet access for job seekers, and expanding internship programmes for matrics to teach them skills.