**Major South African Party Loses Court Fight Over Barred Candidates**
The African National Congress (ANC), the ruling party led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, has faced a significant setback in its preparations for the upcoming local elections scheduled for November 4. The party's appeal to the Electoral Court was dismissed on Wednesday, preventing 181 of its candidates from appearing on the ballot due to a failure to meet submission deadlines.
The controversy stems from the ANC's inability to finalize the electronic submission of candidate nominations by the August 28 deadline. The party claimed that while the necessary details and supporting documents were uploaded before the cutoff, technical difficulties hindered the completion of the submission process. The ANC contended that the final step of pressing the “submit as final” button was merely administrative and not a legal requirement.
However, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) disagreed, asserting that the information uploaded without final submission did not fulfill the formal requirements for candidacy. Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo testified in court that the online submission system had experienced no downtime during the critical period and pointed out that the ANC successfully submitted candidate lists for other municipalities before the deadline.
The rejected candidates are from six municipalities across South Africa, including the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Free State. The list includes 130 proportional-representation nominees and 51 ward candidates. The ruling poses a significant risk to the ANC's stronghold in Ingquza Hill and Port St Johns, where the party previously secured 46 out of 64 and 31 out of 39 council seats, respectively, in the 2021 elections. While the ANC's ward candidates in other municipalities such as Mangaung and uMshwathi remain eligible, their proportional-representation lists have been excluded.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest political party in South Africa, opposed the ANC's appeal and was permitted to join the case. The DA argued that allowing the ANC's candidates to appear on the ballot would unfairly disadvantage parties that adhered to the submission deadlines.
In response to the court's decision, the ANC acknowledged the ruling but indicated plans to pursue further legal action. The party emphasized that its aim is to seek recognition for the information that was captured by the IEC system prior to the deadline, rather than requesting an extension or preferential treatment.
The upcoming local elections will be a critical test for the ANC, which has seen a decline in its municipal vote share from 53.91% in 2016 to 46.04% in 2021, resulting in 66 councils without a clear majority. The party's challenges have been compounded by its loss of a parliamentary majority in 2024, leading to the formation of a Government of National Unity with former opponents, including the DA.
This is not the first time the ANC has faced difficulties with candidate nominations. In 2021, the party was unable to complete all necessary nominations by the deadline, affecting 93 municipalities. However, it was later permitted to register candidates after the IEC reopened submissions under a revised election timetable due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Constitutional Court upheld the DA's challenge against this reopening but emphasized the importance of compliance with electoral deadlines.
As the ANC prepares for the November elections, the implications of this court ruling could significantly impact its electoral strategy and voter support in key regions. The party's future in these municipalities remains uncertain as it navigates the legal landscape and seeks to regain the trust of its constituents.