ANC risks being locked out of municipal races as IEC stands firm on deadline
The ANC earlier claimed it was unable to capture all its candidates in the IEC's system due to a technical glitch.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has firmly denied allegations of favoritism towards the African National Congress (ANC), asserting that no political party will be granted extra time to submit candidates for the 2026 Local Government Elections. This stance follows the ANC's earlier claim that a technical issue prevented it from registering all its candidates in the IEC's system. The deadline for submitting candidate lists was last Friday at 5pm.
The ANC expressed its confidence in the IEC and the electoral process, commending the Commission for its constructive engagement with affected parties. In response, the IEC clarified that it has not extended any party or independent candidate additional time beyond the candidate nomination deadline. The Commission reaffirmed that the Online Candidate Nomination System was accessible throughout the nomination period, including the cut-off date, and questioned the ANC's delayed submission of candidate lists on the IEC's online platform.
The ANC now faces the risk of being excluded from the 2026 Local Government Elections in municipalities where it did not submit candidate lists before the official deadline.
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