{
  "id": 6271113,
  "title": "ANC says 181 candidates affected in IEC nomination dispute, rejects special-treatment claims",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/anc-says-181-candidates-affected-in-iec-nomination-dispute-rejects",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-08T11:08:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-09-08-anc-says-181-candidates-affected-in-iec-nomination-dispute-rejects-special-treatment-claims/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The African National Congress (ANC) claims 181 of its candidates are impacted by a dispute with the South African Electoral Commission (IEC) concerning the submission of candidate nominations for the upcoming local government elections on November 4. In a media briefing on Tuesday, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula disclosed that the party had filed an application with the Electoral Court following the IEC's refusal to process candidate information already recorded in the electoral body's system before the August 28 deadline. On September 4, the ANC lodged a court application, and the matter is now before a judge. Mbalula stated that the ANC would not argue the merits of the case publicly. The ANC fielded 9,128 candidates across the nine provinces, with 4,366 candidates registered for ward seats and 4,581 for proportional representation, totaling 8,947 registered candidates. The 181 affected candidates comprise 130 on proportional representation lists and 51 ward candidates in six councils. Mbalula emphasized that the ANC's candidates remain on the ballot in affected municipalities, such as Mangaung, uMsunduzi, Walter Sisulu, and Sundays River Valley, while the proportional representation lists are disputed. Both ward and proportional representation ballots are affected in the remaining two councils. Mbalula noted that the ANC is not isolated in this issue, as 2,274 candidates from 45 political parties face the same problem, with 224 parties submitting candidate nominations manually and 299 using the electronic system. No comparable issues have been reported with manual submissions, while 45 parties using the electronic route have encountered problems. The ANC asserts that the court should decide whether uploading candidate information onto the IEC's system before the deadline equates to submitting the nomination. Mbalula clarified that the UDF Party's case, which involved seeking relief concerning the candidate nomination deadline, is distinct from the ANC's application. The ANC has not requested an exemption or extension; they are seeking the court's determination on whether candidate information already uploaded onto the IEC's electronic system before the deadline can be legally regarded as submitted. If the ANC succeeds, 2,093 candidates from other parties would benefit from the same relief.",
  "summary": "The ANC has taken its dispute with the IEC to the Electoral Court, with 181 candidates affected and the party insisting it is not seeking special treatment.",
  "key_points": [
    "181 ANC candidates affected by IEC nomination dispute",
    "ANC files court application against IEC decision",
    "2,274 candidates from 45 parties face similar issue"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}