Court overturns Mbalula’s decision to remove Andile Lungisa from ANC election candidate list
The ANC was directed to take immediate steps to reinstate Lungisa.
Andile Lungisa, an ANC National Executive Committee member, has won a court case that overturns the decision to remove him from the party's candidate list for the upcoming local government elections in November 2026. The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg ruled on Friday, 9 October 2026 that the removal was unlawful. The ANC had cited Lungisa's criminal record and pending vetting process as reasons for his exclusion.
However, Lungisa disputed the matter, arguing that the ANC's general secretary, Fikile Mbalula, as well as the NEC and the IEC, were overstepping their authority. Judge Mali of the High Court agreed with Lungisa's account, stating that he had completed the necessary stages of the ANC's vetting process. The court emphasized the importance of the ANC's internal rules governing candidate removal, stating that Mbalula's actions effectively made him the decision-maker in Lungisa's case.
The party was ordered to reinstate Lungisa on the election candidate list, and the IEC was directed to add his name to the ballot.
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