Electoral Court questions Operation Dudula’s preparedness as party loses late candidate list bid
Internal leadership disputes contributed to the political party's failure to meet the IEC deadline.
Operation Dudula, an anti-migrant movement-turned-political party, saw its bid to extend the deadline for submitting candidate lists to the South African Electoral Commission (IEC) rejected by the Electoral Court. The party had failed to finalize its submissions and ward-candidate nominations by the IEC's 5pm deadline on 28 August 2026.
The party sought an additional 48 hours but was denied, leading to a legal challenge. The court's decision was released on 2 October 2026. Operation Dudula's failure to meet the deadline was attributed to internal leadership disputes, as Solomon Kekana, the registered leader, had been suspended and expelled. Despite attempting to update their registration and submit documents manually at the IEC's Election House, the party was unsuccessful.
The Electoral Court ruled that the party's actions were its own undoing, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the established legal process and statutory obligations.
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