JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — The African National Congress (ANC) is urging the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to investigate a reported system malfunction after a final batch of ANC candidate lists for the 2026 local government elections was rejected just before the submission deadline. While IEC CEO Sai Mamabolo maintains that the nomination system will not be reopened, ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu insists the party complied with all timelines and is seeking a constructive resolution to ensure fair democratic participation.
According to Sai Mamabolo, the electoral commission will not bend the rules or reopen its nomination system for any political parties or candidates who failed to submit their candidate lists. Mamabolo confirmed that the IEC is in constant communication with the national party liaison committee and had verified with the ANC that some of its candidates were indeed not submitted in certain municipalities. The IEC CEO also noted that there is no record of a general system failure.
However, Mahlengi Bhengu pushed back against the notion of non-compliance, assuring members and supporters that the ANC successfully uploaded candidate lists from all nine provinces well before the 28 August deadline. Bhengu explained that the party undergoes a robust, laborious vetting process to ensure candidates meet stringent criteria regarding ethical conduct, competence, and community connectedness.
The complication arose on the final day of submissions. Bhengu stated that just before 5:00 PM, as the very last portion of the ANC’s candidate batch was being uploaded, the IEC system began rejecting the data. The affected areas include parts of the Eastern Cape (specifically OR Tambo and Buffalo City), one municipality in KwaZulu-Natal, and the Mangaung metropolitan municipality in the Free State.
The ANC is not asking to alter or update its submitted list. Instead, Bhengu emphasized that the party is requesting an investigation into the technological failure to determine why the system kicked out a batch of candidates that had already been captured alongside the required accompanying documents.
Bhengu firmly denied that the ANC is “fighting” with the IEC, describing the commission as a hallmark of good governance and democratic electoral participation in South Africa and the broader continent. She argued that allowing an investigation is not harmful to democracy, but rather essential to ensure that affected communities can exercise their fair choice in selecting public representatives.
The stakes of the submission glitch are high. Bhengu estimated that the issue could affect approximately 150 to 200 proportional representation (PR) and ward seats combined. This development comes at a sensitive political juncture, with recent independent polling reportedly placing the ANC’s support around 34%, down from 46%. Despite this, Bhengu maintained that the ANC retains a massive fighting chance, as its number of candidates far surpasses any other political party in the country, and the party remains focused on retaining and reclaiming municipalities to continue service delivery and transformation.
Addressing comparisons to a similar registration failure in 2021, Bhengu noted that internal processes have significantly changed. The current candidate selection framework is far more rigorous and community-involved than in previous years, which naturally requires meticulous last-minute vetting adjustments to minimize the margin of error.
In a separate development addressed during the discussion, Bhengu clarified the recent recall of Dr. Malusi Gigaba from his role as co-chair on the joint standing committee on defense. She confirmed that Gigaba was not removed, but rather stepped aside voluntarily in accordance with the ANC’s established step-aside policy, which is triggered when a member faces corruption charges and appears before a court of law.
Furthermore, when asked about the dismissal of Feroz Khan, Bhengu reiterated the ANC’s commitment to rooting out corruption. She stated that the law must take its course and that anyone who has undermined South Africa’s justice system must face the full might of the law, echoing the party’s broader commitment to addressing the findings of judicial commissions investigating the state of the criminal justice system.
The ANC continues to seek a constructive, lawful engagement with the IEC to resolve the candidate list impasse before the electoral process moves forward.