ANC Faces Losing Municipal Races After IEC Rejects Late Submissions
The African National Congress faces a potentially damaging setback ahead of South Africa’s 4 November 2026 local government elections after the Electoral Commission rejected attempts to complete outstanding candidate submissions beyond the official deadline.
The IEC has confirmed that no extension was granted to the ANC and that political parties and independent candidates cannot add candidates after nominations closed at 17:00 on Friday, 28 August.
The development comes just two months before voters head to the polls and could leave the governing party unable to contest some wards or municipalities if valid nominations were not submitted before the deadline.
ANC Blames Technical Problems
The ANC says it successfully submitted the overwhelming majority of its candidates but encountered difficulties with the IEC’s online candidate nomination platform while trying to finalise a small number of entries.
ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu described the outstanding submissions as a technical and administrative issue and said the party remained confident in the integrity of the IEC.
The party indicated that it was using established electoral processes to address the affected nominations.
However, the IEC has rejected any suggestion that incomplete submissions can simply be finalised after the deadline.
IEC Says Online System Was Available
The Electoral Commission says its Online Candidate Nomination System remained operational throughout the nomination period, including on the final day.
The commission maintains that political parties and independent candidates had sufficient opportunity to submit their nominations before the 17:00 cut-off.
As a result, the IEC says it has not granted the ANC additional time to complete outstanding submissions.
The position directly challenges the ANC’s explanation that technical difficulties prevented it from finalising some candidates.
No Special Treatment for the ANC
The IEC has stressed that the nomination deadline applies equally to every political party and independent candidate.
The commission’s position is that no contestant will be allowed to add candidates after nominations formally closed.
The issue is particularly sensitive because electoral rules must be applied consistently to protect the integrity of the election process and avoid accusations of preferential treatment.
If the affected ANC nominations were not legally completed before the deadline, those candidates could therefore be excluded from the ballot.
ANC Could Miss Some Municipal Races
The potential consequences could be significant.
Reporting by EWN indicates that the ANC could be unable to contest elections in municipalities or wards where it failed to submit valid candidates before the deadline.
The full scale of the problem has not yet been confirmed.
Importantly, the ANC has not been barred from the entire 2026 local government election. The dispute concerns outstanding nominations that may not have been completed within the prescribed timeframe.
The final extent of the problem will only become clear once the IEC releases its confirmed candidate data.
Eastern Cape Municipalities Reportedly Affected
Some reports have indicated that incomplete ANC submissions may involve municipalities in the Eastern Cape.
Port St Johns, Ingquza Hill and Sundays River Valley have been mentioned in reporting surrounding the dispute.
However, those municipalities should be regarded as provisional until the IEC publishes its final candidate information.
That data will establish exactly where ANC candidates have been successfully registered and where the party could potentially be absent from the ballot.
IEC Briefing Could Reveal the Full Extent
A crucial moment is expected on Wednesday, 2 September, when the Electoral Commission is scheduled to brief the media on the final outcomes of the candidate nomination process and the next milestones on the road to the November elections.
The briefing could provide answers to the questions now hanging over the ANC.
How many candidates failed to meet the deadline? Which wards or municipalities are affected? And will the ANC challenge any exclusions through the available electoral or legal processes?
The answers could determine whether the dispute remains a limited administrative setback or develops into a larger political and legal battle.
Echoes of the 2021 Elections
The controversy has uncomfortable echoes of the ANC’s candidate-registration problems before the 2021 local government elections.
In 2021, the party missed the original deadline to register candidates in 93 municipalities.
The IEC later reopened the candidate registration process after changes to the election timetable, giving political parties another opportunity to submit candidates.
There is currently no equivalent reopening for the 2026 elections.
The IEC’s latest position is unequivocal: the 28 August deadline has passed and no extension has been granted.
Why the Stakes Are Higher in 2026
The dispute arrives at a politically sensitive time for the ANC.
With South Africans due to vote on 4 November, the party is seeking to strengthen its position in councils where coalition politics has become increasingly important.
Even losing the ability to contest a relatively small number of wards could have wider consequences in closely fought municipalities.
In councils where governing majorities are already fragile, a handful of seats can influence coalition negotiations and determine which parties ultimately control local government.
Final Candidate List Holds the Key
For now, the central question is not simply whether the ANC experienced technical difficulties.
The decisive issue is whether the affected nominations were legally and successfully submitted before the deadline.
The IEC says its online system remained available throughout the nomination period and that no extension was granted.
The ANC, meanwhile, maintains that only a small number of submissions were affected and has expressed confidence in the electoral process.
The final candidate list will settle the immediate uncertainty.
Until the IEC confirms the outcome, the accurate position is that the ANC faces the risk of being unable to contest some wards or municipal races. It has not been completely barred from the 2026 local government elections.
