Electoral Court says independent candidate ‘left things to the last minute’ after IEC disqualification

An independent candidate, Llala Peter Phoshoko, from Limpopo, failed in his attempt to be included on the ballot for the 2026 local government elections, with the Electoral Court rejecting his challenge to a disqualification. Phoshoko intended to stand in ward 33 of Polokwane Local Municipality but approached the court, claiming the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) should have included him as a candidate.

Community members had initially approached Phoshoko about running as their independent candidate at the start of 2026, but they later chose another person who eventually stood as a political party candidate. Phoshoko received 53 signatures by the 28 August 2026 nomination deadline, but failed to verify if the signatories were registered in the correct ward.

The IEC opposed Phoshoko's challenge, stating he hadn't met the legal requirement of obtaining 50 valid signatures, as 13 of the 53 signatories were not on the voters' roll for ward 33. Phoshoko argued that political parties could still contest despite receiving fewer than 50 votes in a ward, but the IEC maintained he didn't meet the legal requirements.

The Electoral Court ruled in favor of the IEC, finding that Phoshoko's last-minute approach to the nomination process and his failure to verify signatories contributed to his disqualification. While the court upheld the disqualification, it disagreed with the IEC's decision not to inform Phoshoko of his failure to qualify, emphasizing that proper dignity should be shown to candidates and voters.