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JD GLOBAL MEDIA | SOUTH AFRICA
Published: 20 September 2026
The African National Congress (ANC) is continuing its preparations for South Africa's 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections after the Electoral Court rejected the party's attempt to have 181 candidates reinstated following a dispute over the submission of candidate nominations.
The court's decision means the affected ANC candidates remain excluded from the certified candidate lists for the municipalities concerned, unless a further legal process changes the position.
The dispute has become one of the most closely watched electoral developments ahead of the municipal elections because it involves the submission of candidates through the Electoral Commission of South Africa's online nomination system and raises questions about deadlines, technical problems, party procedures and the legal limits surrounding election administration.
The ANC has argued that technical difficulties affected its ability to complete the nomination process before the deadline.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has disputed that account and maintained that the party did not complete the required submissions within the prescribed timeframe.
The Electoral Court ultimately dismissed the ANC's challenge.
The ruling means the affected candidates cannot simply be added back to the ballot through an administrative decision by the party.
The dispute has also created an additional political issue for the ANC as parties move deeper into campaigning for the November elections.
The ANC remains one of the country's major political organisations, but the municipal elections are taking place in a political environment where several parties are competing strongly for seats in councils across South Africa.
The candidate dispute therefore has both an administrative and political dimension, although the legal question before the court concerned the electoral nomination process rather than the popularity of any party.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE ANC CANDIDATES
The dispute centres on the 28 August 2026 deadline for political parties and independent candidates to complete the required nomination process.
The ANC submitted candidates through the IEC's online candidate nomination system.
However, the commission determined that nominations for 181 ANC candidates across six municipalities had not been successfully completed within the required process.
The affected candidates included ward and proportional-representation candidates.
The ANC challenged the exclusion, arguing that technical problems with the online system contributed to the failure to complete the process.
The party sought legal intervention in an attempt to have the candidates included.
The IEC opposed the application.
The Electoral Court heard arguments from both sides before delivering its ruling on 16 September 2026.
The court dismissed the ANC's appeal.
That decision left the 181 candidates outside the final candidate lists released for the election.
THE ANC'S EXPLANATION
The ANC has maintained that the problem was connected to technical difficulties during the candidate submission process.
The party argued that it had attempted to meet the deadline but that problems with the online system prevented some nominations from being fully captured and confirmed.
ANC leaders said they had experienced difficulties with the commission's candidate-capture system.
The party therefore sought an opportunity to correct or complete the affected submissions.
The ANC's position was that the circumstances surrounding the failed submissions justified intervention because the affected candidates had been selected by the party to contest the elections.
The party also argued that the issue should not deprive voters of the opportunity to choose ANC candidates in the affected areas.
However, the IEC disputed the claim that its system was responsible for the failure.
The commission presented information concerning the party's submissions and the timing of the nomination process.
That evidence became important in the Electoral Court proceedings.
THE IEC'S POSITION
The IEC maintained that political parties were responsible for completing their nominations before the statutory deadline.
The commission argued that the ANC had not completed the necessary steps within the required period.
The IEC also rejected the suggestion that the nomination process could simply be reopened for one party after the deadline had passed.
Election authorities operate according to deadlines because candidate lists have to be finalised before ballots can be produced and election preparations completed.
Allowing nominations to remain open indefinitely could affect the timetable for printing ballots, checking candidate information and preparing voting materials.
The IEC's position was therefore that the rules needed to be applied consistently to all participants.
The commission welcomed the Electoral Court's decision after the ruling was handed down.
WHAT THE ELECTORAL COURT DECIDED
The Electoral Court dismissed the ANC's attempt to have the excluded candidates reinstated.
The court's ruling means the affected candidate nominations remain excluded from the election lists.
The case was heard by a panel of judges, and the decision followed arguments presented by both the ANC and the IEC.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) was also granted permission to intervene in the matter.
The legal dispute illustrates how candidate nomination deadlines can become significant parts of an election.
Political parties have to meet strict administrative requirements before voters can choose their candidates.
Even when a party argues that technical problems contributed to a failure, the court must consider the applicable electoral rules and the evidence presented.
WHY DEADLINES MATTER IN ELECTIONS
Election deadlines are not simply administrative suggestions.
They are part of the legal framework used to organise elections.
Once candidate nominations close, the electoral commission has to verify candidates and finalise lists.
Ballot papers have to be prepared.
Voting stations have to be organised.
Election materials have to be distributed.
Voters need to know who is contesting their wards.
Political parties also need certainty about the candidates competing against them.
If candidate submissions could be changed after every deadline, election preparations could become significantly more complicated.
For this reason, electoral systems generally establish clear cut-off dates.
The challenge is balancing strict deadlines with genuine technical or administrative problems when they occur.
THE 181 CANDIDATES ARE SPREAD ACROSS SIX MUNICIPALITIES
The dispute does not involve every ANC candidate in South Africa.
It affects 181 candidates across six municipalities.
The affected municipalities are located in different parts of the country.
The exclusion therefore has a local impact rather than automatically removing the ANC from the municipal elections nationwide.
The ANC remains on the ballot in numerous other municipalities.
The party is also continuing its broader national election campaign.
This distinction is important because the court ruling does not mean that the ANC has been excluded from the 2026 local elections.
It means that specific nominations were not accepted in the affected municipalities.
THE LOCAL IMPACT COULD BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE NATIONAL NUMBER
Although 181 candidates may appear relatively small compared with the total number of candidates contesting the election, the impact can be significant in individual municipalities.
A ward candidate is directly associated with a particular geographic constituency.
If a party's candidate is absent from the ballot in a ward, voters in that ward will not have that candidate as an option.
A proportional-representation candidate is part of the system through which council seats are allocated according to party support.
The exclusion of PR candidates can therefore also have implications for a party's representation.
The significance depends on the municipalities involved and the structure of competition in each area.
A close local contest can be affected by the absence of particular candidates, although the ultimate result remains dependent on votes cast on election day.
THE ANC HAS INDICATED THAT IT WILL CONTINUE EXPLORING ITS OPTIONS
Following the ruling, ANC officials indicated that the party would consider further legal options.
The party has also called for calm and discipline among its members.
The possibility of further legal action means the dispute may not necessarily end with the Electoral Court ruling.
However, any further challenge would have to operate within the relevant legal framework and timelines.
The election timetable continues to move forward.
That creates practical limits on how long candidate disputes can remain unresolved.
The IEC needs to finalise election materials well before voting day.
The closer the election gets, the more difficult it becomes to make changes without affecting preparations.
THE NOVEMBER ELECTION IS NOW APPROACHING QUICKLY
South Africans will vote in the 2026 Local Government Elections on 4 November.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared election day a public holiday.
The declaration is intended to give voters an opportunity to participate in the democratic process without normal workplace pressures associated with an ordinary working day.
The Presidency has reminded voters that they can only vote at the voting station in the ward where they are registered.
The election will determine the composition of municipal councils across the country.
This makes candidate lists particularly important.
Voters need to know which parties and candidates will appear on their ballots before election day.
THE IEC HAS FINALised THE CANDIDATE LISTS
The Electoral Commission has moved into the final preparation phase for the election.
The commission recently announced that 136,790 candidates had been cleared to contest the 2026 local government elections.
Those candidates are competing for seats across eight metropolitan municipalities, 44 district municipalities and 205 local municipalities.
The size of the candidate field illustrates the scale of the election.
Municipal elections involve thousands of wards and council seats across the country.
Every candidate must meet the relevant requirements before appearing on the ballot.
The finalisation of candidate lists allows the commission to proceed with the next stages of election preparation.
SPECIAL VOTES ARE ALSO COMING INTO FOCUS
The IEC has announced that applications for special votes will open on 21 September 2026.
Special votes are available to qualifying voters who meet the requirements established by electoral law.
These can include voters who cannot physically attend their voting station on election day because of circumstances covered by the regulations.
Certain essential-service workers and media personnel may also qualify under the applicable arrangements.
The opening of special-vote applications marks another major stage in the election timetable.
It demonstrates how the election process involves much more than the activities taking place on 4 November itself.
WHAT THE ANC DISPUTE MEANS FOR VOTERS
For voters in the affected municipalities, the immediate practical issue is knowing which candidates will actually appear on the ballot.
Voters should rely on the final information provided by the IEC rather than assumptions based on earlier party announcements.
Candidate lists can change before finalisation because of legal decisions, withdrawals or other authorised processes.
Once the final lists are established, voters will be able to identify the parties and candidates contesting their wards.
The ANC's exclusion of the 181 candidates therefore needs to be understood in relation to the final ballot arrangements.
It does not prevent ANC supporters in other municipalities from voting for the party.
It does, however, mean that voters in affected wards may face a different set of candidates than those originally selected by the ANC.
THE DISPUTE HAS RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY IN ELECTIONS
The disagreement between the ANC and IEC has also highlighted the growing role of digital technology in election administration.
Political parties increasingly rely on online systems to submit candidate information.
Digital systems can speed up processes and reduce paperwork.
They can also create new risks.
If users experience technical problems, incorrect data entry or connectivity difficulties, deadlines can become more complicated.
Election authorities therefore need systems capable of handling large volumes of information under strict time constraints.
Political parties also need trained personnel who understand the submission process and can verify information before deadlines expire.
The dispute demonstrates that technology does not eliminate the need for careful administrative planning.
DATA ACCURACY IS ALSO IMPORTANT
Candidate nominations contain sensitive and important information.
Names, identification details, ward information and other data must be captured accurately.
Errors can create problems during verification.
The ANC has acknowledged that inaccuracies were found in some candidate information, including incorrectly captured identification numbers.
Such errors can affect whether a nomination meets the statutory requirements.
Political parties therefore need systems for checking candidate information before submission.
The commission, meanwhile, has to verify the information it receives.
This process becomes particularly important because ballot papers must accurately identify candidates.
THE ISSUE OF ACCOUNTABILITY
The dispute has also generated discussion within the ANC about internal responsibility.
Political parties have to manage large numbers of candidates across hundreds of municipalities.
The nomination process requires coordination between national, provincial and local structures.
Candidate selection can involve extensive internal procedures.
Once candidates are selected, party officials have to ensure that their details are correctly submitted to the electoral commission.
The responsibility for that process is ultimately connected to the party's election machinery.
The ANC has faced questions from within its own structures over how the nomination process was managed.
Party officials have defended their handling of the matter while pursuing legal remedies.
THE ANC'S BROADER ELECTION CAMPAIGN CONTINUES
Despite the candidate dispute, the ANC continues its national campaign for the local elections.
The party has presented a municipal programme focused on improving local government performance and addressing service-delivery problems.
President Ramaphosa and other senior ANC leaders have been campaigning across the country.
The party is seeking support in municipalities where it currently governs and in areas where it hopes to regain representation.
The candidate dispute therefore represents one issue within a much larger election campaign.
The ANC's performance at the ballot box will depend on the votes cast by residents across thousands of wards and municipalities.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS THE FOCUS OF THE ELECTION
The upcoming election is particularly important because municipalities are responsible for many services that directly affect people's daily lives.
Residents interact with local government when dealing with water, sanitation, refuse collection, local roads, planning and other municipal responsibilities.
The quality of local government therefore has a direct impact on communities.
Political parties are using the campaign to present different approaches to these problems.
The ANC has promised improvements to municipal governance and service delivery.
Other parties have presented alternative programmes.
The election will allow voters to choose representatives according to their own preferences.
THE ROLE OF THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
The IEC's responsibility is to administer the election according to the Constitution and electoral laws.
It must register voters, manage candidate nominations, produce ballots, prepare voting stations, train election personnel and oversee the counting process.
The commission also has to ensure that political parties and candidates are treated according to the same rules.
This is one reason why candidate disputes can become highly contested.
A decision to accept or reject a candidate can affect the political choices available to voters.
The IEC must therefore balance administrative efficiency with legal requirements and electoral fairness.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC CONFIDENCE
Election authorities depend heavily on public confidence.
Voters need to believe that ballots will be handled properly.
Political parties need to believe that the rules will be applied consistently.
Candidates need confidence that nomination procedures are transparent.
Disputes are therefore not unusual in democratic elections.
The key issue is whether disputes can be resolved through established legal and administrative mechanisms.
The ANC's challenge to the IEC's decision is an example of this process.
The party took its complaint to the Electoral Court, and the court issued a ruling.
The existence of such a legal mechanism provides a formal avenue for resolving disagreements over electoral administration.
THE COURT'S ROLE IS SEPARATE FROM POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING
The Electoral Court's role in this dispute was to determine the legal question before it.
It did not decide which political party should win the municipal elections.
It did not assess the popularity of ANC candidates.
Its decision concerned the validity of the nomination process and the legal basis for reinstating the candidates.
This distinction is important during an election period.
Political parties may interpret court decisions through their own political perspectives.
The court's ruling, however, operates within the legal framework governing elections.
THE OTHER PARTIES ARE ALSO PREPARING
The ANC is not the only party preparing for the November elections.
The Democratic Alliance, Economic Freedom Fighters, Inkatha Freedom Party, uMkhonto weSizwe Party, African Christian Democratic Party and numerous smaller parties and independent candidates are contesting municipal seats.
The IEC has confirmed a very large field of candidates.
This means voters will have multiple choices in many municipalities.
The final candidate lists will provide a clearer picture of the political competition in each area.
In some municipalities, several parties may compete closely for council seats.
In others, one or two organisations may dominate the political landscape.
The results will ultimately depend on local voting patterns.
COALITIONS COULD REMAIN IMPORTANT
South Africa's recent political developments have increased the importance of coalition government at local level.
When no party wins an outright majority in a municipal council, parties may need to cooperate to establish an executive.
Coalitions can affect how municipal budgets are adopted, how committees are formed and how executive leadership is selected.
The 2026 elections could therefore produce a range of governing arrangements.
The candidate dispute involving the ANC may have different implications in municipalities depending on the balance of political support.
However, no specific election outcome can be determined before voters cast their ballots and the votes are counted.
WHY THE CANDIDATE DISPUTE WILL BE WATCHED
The case will remain relevant as the election approaches because it raises broader questions about how political parties manage electoral deadlines.
It also demonstrates the importance of the IEC's digital nomination systems.
The final outcome of any further legal proceedings could potentially affect the candidate lists if a competent court orders a change.
Until then, the Electoral Court's decision remains the operative ruling.
Political parties will need to focus on the final lists as they continue campaigning.
WHAT VOTERS SHOULD DO BEFORE ELECTION DAY
The IEC has encouraged eligible voters to verify their registration details.
Voters should confirm that they are registered in the correct voting district.
The commission has also reminded voters that they cannot simply vote at a different voting station because they are travelling on election day.
The 4 November 2026 election day has been declared a public holiday, but voters still need to plan where and when they will vote.
Those who qualify for special votes should also monitor the relevant application dates.
Knowing the correct voting station and understanding the ballot process can help reduce confusion on election day.
THE ELECTION WILL TEST MUNICIPAL POLITICS
The November elections will provide an opportunity for South Africans to determine the composition of their local councils.
Political parties will campaign on service delivery, jobs, housing, infrastructure, municipal finances and governance.
The ANC's candidate dispute is one of several developments shaping the election environment.
Other parties are also dealing with candidate selection, internal disagreements and campaign challenges.
The final candidate lists provide voters with the clearest indication of who will actually contest the election.
THE ANC NOW FACES A FIXED ELECTORAL TIMETABLE
The Electoral Court ruling leaves the ANC with limited time before the election.
The party has to continue campaigning while dealing with the consequences of the candidate dispute.
If it pursues further legal action, it will have to do so within the available electoral timetable.
At the same time, its candidates in other municipalities must continue campaigning.
The party will also need to explain its broader municipal programme to voters.
The November election will ultimately be determined by ballots, not court proceedings.
WHAT THE CASE REVEALS ABOUT MODERN ELECTIONS
The dispute illustrates how modern elections involve increasingly complex administrative systems.
Political parties must manage candidate selection, digital submissions, data verification, legal compliance and campaign operations simultaneously.
Electoral commissions must process thousands of candidates and ensure that election materials are accurate.
A failure at any stage can lead to disputes.
The case therefore provides a practical example of why election administration requires detailed planning and strict adherence to deadlines.
THE ROAD TO 4 NOVEMBER CONTINUES
South Africa is now moving into the final weeks before the 2026 Local Government Elections.
The ANC's 181 excluded candidates remain at the centre of a legal and political dispute that has already reached the Electoral Court.
The court's decision has left the candidates off the certified lists for the affected municipalities.
The ANC says technical difficulties contributed to the problem.
The IEC maintains that the party failed to complete the nomination process within the required deadline.
The court rejected the ANC's challenge.
Whatever further legal steps may follow, the election timetable continues.
The IEC is proceeding with preparations for 4 November, including final candidate arrangements, special-vote preparations and voting-station planning.
A KEY MOMENT BEFORE THE MUNICIPAL POLLS
The candidate dispute is now part of the wider political story leading into South Africa's local government elections.
The ANC continues its campaign, while other parties are also seeking votes across the country's municipalities.
The final candidate lists mean that voters can now begin focusing more closely on the candidates and parties that will actually appear on their ballots.
For the ANC, the immediate task is to continue its campaign while dealing with the consequences of the court ruling.
For the IEC, the priority is to maintain the election timetable and complete preparations for polling day.
For voters, the important next step is to verify registration information and familiarise themselves with the final candidates in their municipality and ward.
The 4 November 2026 local government elections will ultimately determine who represents communities in municipal councils for the next term.
The Electoral Court has now provided a ruling on the ANC's 181 disputed nominations.
The remaining question is how the political parties and voters will respond as the campaign enters its final stage.
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