CCN

23 September 2026 | 16:30

JOHANNESBURG — The African National Congress has decided to approach the Constitutional Court in its dispute with the Independent Electoral Commission over 181 rejected councillor candidates.

The dispute centres on the party’s failure to submit the affected candidate lists by the IEC’s 28 August deadline.

The Electoral Court previously dismissed the ANC’s appeal.

The party has now taken the matter to the country’s highest court.

What is the dispute about?

The ANC was required to submit candidate lists for the 2026 local government elections by the deadline set by the IEC.

The commission rejected 181 candidates after the required submissions were not completed on time.

The ANC has argued that problems involving its submission process affected the candidates.

In earlier court proceedings, ANC lawyers argued that operators experienced difficulties with the IEC’s electronic submission system.

The IEC disputed the explanation and defended the deadline and submission requirements. (SABC News⁠)

Constitutional Court date

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the matter is expected to be heard by the Constitutional Court on 7 October 2026.

That puts the court battle on the electoral calendar as parties prepare for the November local government elections. (SABC News⁠)

Why the dispute matters

The outcome could determine whether the affected ANC candidates can participate in the election in the municipalities concerned.

The dispute is also an important test of how electoral deadlines are applied when political parties argue that technical or administrative problems affected their submissions.

The IEC, meanwhile, has to administer the elections according to the electoral framework and deadlines.

The election preparations continue

While the court battle continues, the IEC has proceeded with other election preparations.

Political parties have participated in the Electoral Code of Conduct process as the election campaign moves forward.

The candidate-list dispute therefore exists alongside a wider election timetable that cannot simply be paused indefinitely.

What happens next?

The Constitutional Court will hear the ANC’s case on 7 October.

Until then, the status of the affected candidates remains subject to the court process.

Crime Connect will report on the court hearing and any ruling affecting the November elections.