South African Court Upholds Exclusion of 181 ANC Candidates From Local Elections

By Benson Daniel

South Africa’s Electoral Court has upheld the exclusion of 181 African National Congress candidates from the country’s upcoming local government elections, rejecting the party’s challenge to the Electoral Commission’s decision.

The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, September 16, means the affected candidates will not appear on the ballot for the November 4 local government elections. The candidates were linked to six municipalities where the ANC failed to complete the required electronic submission process before the official deadline.

The dispute arose from the ANC’s use of the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s online candidate nomination system. The party had uploaded candidate information and supporting documentation before the August 28 deadline but did not complete the final electronic submission step required by the system.

The ANC argued that the candidate information was already captured in the commission’s system before the deadline and that this should have been sufficient to establish its intention to nominate the candidates.

The party also challenged the importance of the final submission button, arguing during the court proceedings that the additional step was a feature of the commission’s electronic system rather than a requirement that should automatically disqualify candidates.

The Electoral Commission maintained that the nomination process required candidates’ lists to be formally submitted by the prescribed deadline. It argued that simply capturing information on the system did not constitute a completed submission.

The commission also disputed the ANC’s earlier claims that technical problems were responsible for the failure to complete the process, arguing that the party ultimately failed to submit its lists within the required timeframe.

The affected nominations covered six municipalities. The ANC had sought an order directing the commission to recognise the candidates and allow them to participate in the November elections.

The court’s decision leaves the commission on course to finalise the candidate lists for the local government polls.

The case had attracted significant attention because of the number of candidates involved and the approaching election timetable. The Electoral Commission is responsible for managing candidate nominations and preparing the final ballot ahead of the November vote.

The ANC has indicated that it will examine the legal options available to it following the judgment. Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the party maintained that its candidate information had been captured in the commission’s electronic system before the deadline and that it would continue to pursue the matter through available legal channels.

The ruling comes at a critical stage in preparations for South Africa’s 2026 local government elections, when voters will elect representatives at municipal level.

For the ANC, the exclusion means it will have to proceed with the local elections without the 181 affected candidates unless further legal action changes the position. The Electoral Commission, meanwhile, can proceed with the finalisation of the candidate lists and preparations for ballot papers.

The dispute also highlights the growing importance of electronic nomination systems in election administration and the legal consequences that can arise when political parties fail to complete prescribed digital procedures within electoral deadlines.