Ngcukayitobi demands explanations from Mbalula over ANC candidate lists
Lulama Ngcukayitobi, the Eastern Cape provincial secretary of the African National Congress (ANC), demanded explanations from the party’s secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, over the incomplete submission of candidate lists for local elections. In a letter dated August 31, he requested a detailed report on the candidates the ANC submitted to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and on compliance with nomination requirements, TimesLIVE reports.
Request concerning candidate lists
Ngcukayitobi requested a consolidated list of all ward candidates and proportional representation candidates submitted to the IEC, broken down by municipalities and regions. He specifically mentioned the OR Tambo, Alfred Nzo, Sundays River and Walter Sisulu regions.
The provincial secretary also demanded the status of the ANC’s compliance with the commission’s requirements. The report was to be submitted by 13:00 on September 1. According to Ngcukayitobi, the document was needed by the provincial executive committee and the election team to strengthen internal procedures, ensure compliance and protect the integrity of candidate selection.
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Different explanations from ANC and IEC
Mbalula’s office said that the ANC had submitted the nominations of the overwhelming majority of its candidates on time. It also claimed that the IEC’s candidate data-entry system had experienced technical problems that affected several parties. According to the secretary-general’s office, a small number of candidate records are being finalized together with the commission under its established procedures.
IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo rejected claims that the system had malfunctioned. The commission said its online candidate nomination system had operated throughout the entire process, including on the final day for submissions. According to the IEC, access to the system was opened on June 21, while the official nomination period began on August 7.
According to the publication’s sources, the dispute between Ngcukayitobi and Mbalula’s office concerns responsibility for incomplete candidate lists in the Eastern Cape province. Provincial ANC leaders said they were aware of the letter, but it had not been approved by the provincial executive committee. Local elections in South Africa are scheduled for November 4.
