By: Moyahabo Mabeba
The African National Congress (ANC) has launched an urgent application in the Electoral Court of South Africa in Bloemfontein, revealing the vast extent of its potential losses in the upcoming Local Government Elections scheduled for 4 November 2026.
In court documents filed on 4 September 2026, signed by Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, the ruling party is seeking to overturn a decision made by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on 1 September 2026. The IEC rejected the ANC’s candidate lists and ward nominations across several key municipalities, ruling that they were not submitted before the official deadline. The ANC argues that the IEC misinterpreted the law and that its party lists were submitted lawfully and on time.
The Extent of the Threat
The geographic reach of the IEC’s rejection threatens the ANC’s standing across multiple provinces. According to the court papers, the affected areas include:
*Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality (MAN): A major metropolitan council in the Free State.
*Port St Johns Local Municipality (EC154): Located in the Eastern Cape.
*Ngquza Hill Local Municipality (EC153): Also in the Eastern Cape.
*Sundays River Valley Local Municipality (EC106): In the Eastern Cape.
*Walter Sisulu Local Municipality (EC145): In the Eastern Cape.
*uMshwathi Local Municipality (KZN221): In KwaZulu-Natal.
If the Electoral Court rejects the ANC’s appeal, the party will be completely barred from fielding proportional representation party lists or ward candidates in these municipalities. This could cost the governing party dozens of council seats automatically, effectively handing control of these local councils to political rivals without a single vote being cast against them in those races.
Far-Reaching Political Implications
The implications of such an exclusion are massive. Losing entire municipalities due to administrative disqualification would drastically reduce the ANC’s overall national share of local government seats. In a metro like Mangaung, failing to field candidates would eliminate the ANC’s presence in key local decision-making bodies, cutting off access to municipal governance, council positions, and local budgets.
Beyond the loss of council seats, the legal challenge exposes deep administrative strain within the ruling party’s operations. The inability to successfully lodge candidate documentation in multiple regions before the deadline undermines public confidence in the party’s organizational capacity ahead of a critical election cycle.
Who Benefits? The SACP and Rival Parties
The potential exclusion of official ANC candidates creates an unexpected opening for other political movements, most notably its Tripartite Alliance partner, the South African Communist Party (SACP).
In an historic shift, the SACP resolved to field its own candidates independently for the 2026 local government elections, submitting thousands of ward candidates across the country while insisting it remains part of the broader Alliance. If the ANC is disqualified from contesting wards in municipalities like Mangaung, Port St Johns, or uMshwathi, traditional ANC voters will find no official ANC candidate on the ballot paper.
In these areas, the SACP stands as a primary beneficiary. Working-class voters and loyal supporters of the broader liberation movement who refuse to vote for opposition parties may turn to the SACP as the closest familiar alternative. This unique situation allows the Communist Party to capture former ANC strongholds, establish its own independent footprint in municipal councils, and gain significant political leverage over its senior alliance partner.
Opposition parties also stand to make major gains. In mixed or tightly contested councils, the absence of ANC candidates virtually guarantees an easier path to victory for opposition candidates, increasing the likelihood of coalition governments or outright opposition control.
The Road Ahead
The ANC has appointed SM Patel Attorneys Inc. to handle the appeal and is asking the court to order the IEC to reinstate its lists and pay the costs of four counsel. As the November election date approaches, the Electoral Court’s impending ruling will determine whether the ANC can salvage its local campaigns or face unprecedented municipal losses.