ANC to provide update on IEC court challenge amid candidate list glitch

The ANC announced last week that it was unable to capture all its candidates on the IEC's system due to what it described as a technical glitch. The ANC is expected to brief the media after filing papers with the Electoral Court to challenge the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) candidate nomination deadline, seeking to overturn the exclusion of members who missed the 28 August cut‑off. The party said the media briefing on Tuesday, 8 September, at 11am, will provide an update on the submission of its councillor candidates for the 2026 Local Government Elections. “The briefing will provide an overview of the candidate submission process, and further confirm readiness to contest the upcoming local government elections,” it said. LIVE interactive map, latest news, multimedia and more! View Map Controversy The controversy emerged after the ANC announced last week that it had been unable to capture all its candidates on the IEC’s system due to what it described as a technical glitch. It blamed the IEC’s online system for the delays, insisting that its officials had uploaded the documents on time. The IEC has stood firm, saying late lists will not be included. Affected provinces The dispute affects ANC councillor candidates in six municipalities across KwaZulu‑Natal (KZN), Mpumalanga and the Eastern Cape, where the party now risks losing representation. In its submission to the Electoral Court, the ANC argues that the system failure was beyond its members’ control and that barring them would unfairly disenfranchise communities in the affected regions. Fikile Mbalula On Sunday, The Citizen reported that the ANC’s failure to submit portions of its candidate lists before the IEC’s deadline has placed secretary-general Fikile Mbalula under mounting pressure, with senior party leaders demanding answers over omissions that could affect the ANC’s prospects in key municipalities ahead of the 4 November local government elections. The full extent of the omissions remains unclear as the IEC has not yet published the complete list of registered candidates. IEC system However, the electoral body recently confirmed that its system reflected 2 274 candidate nominees from 45 political parties whose details had been captured but not formally submitted. ANC veteran Frank Chikane, NEC member and Deputy Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Nocawe Mafu, and former ANC Youth League deputy president Andile Lungisa are among those omitted from proportional representation lists, according to a Sunday Times report. Accountability Lungisa reportedly said he had been assured that his name would be added during the amendment process. The issue has sparked criticism from within the ANC’s leadership structures, with several National Executive Committee (NEC) members reportedly arguing that Mbalula must account for what happened.