Ramaphosa: ANC considers appealing to Electoral Court over candidate lists
South African President and African National Congress (ANC) leader Cyril Ramaphosa said the party is considering appealing to the Electoral Court over problems with the final submission of candidate lists for the local elections on November 4, 2026.
As Daily Maverick reports, the ANC was unable to finalize the registration of hundreds of nominated council candidates in some municipalities in the Eastern Cape and Free State by the August 28 deadline. The party attributed this to technical glitches while working with the South African Electoral Commission (IEC) system.
ANC and Electoral Commission positions
Ramaphosa insists that the ANC submitted candidate lists across the country, while problems related to interaction with the IEC platform arose only in certain areas. He described the situation as limited and manageable.
According to the president, the ANC is considering several ways to resolve the dispute: engagement with the IEC, discussion in the Political Party Liaison Committee, and an appeal to the Electoral Court. Ramaphosa said a solution must be found so that voters can choose their candidates.
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The IEC rejected claims that its system had malfunctioned, saying the platform had functioned properly and that parties had had access to it since June. The commission also said it did not intend to make exceptions for participants who did not complete their submissions by the deadline.
According to the IEC, about 2,300 candidates from 45 political parties were entered into the system but had not been finally submitted by 17:00 on the day of the deadline. For the ANC, the consequences affected nearly 200 candidates in ward constituencies and on proportional lists in certain municipalities in the Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape.
Campaign in Tembisa
During an election campaign walkabout in the Nksivene voting district in Ward 14 of Tembisa on September 4, residents spoke with Ramaphosa about unemployment, crime, drugs, rising electricity costs, and housing rent. They also complained about insufficient street lighting, which local residents believe contributes to crime.
Ramaphosa acknowledged that unemployment remains one of the country’s biggest challenges and said the government is working to attract investment and create jobs. On crime, he called on communities to unite more actively in local forums and acknowledged the responsibility of the ANC, ward councillors, and party branch leaders to respond to residents’ problems.
