{
  "id": 6281966,
  "title": "Inaccurate and unverified ID numbers found on ANC election candidate lists",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/inaccurate-and-unverified-id-numbers-found-on-anc-election-candidate",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-08T13:20:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/elections/inaccurate-and-unverified-id-numbers-found-on-anc-election-candidate-lists/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula admitted that some candidate lists for the upcoming local government elections contained inaccurate and unverified identity numbers. The party launched an internal review of its nomination process in response. Mbalula disputes the claim that the glitch was due to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). The ANC filed papers with the Electoral Court challenging the IEC's decision not to reopen candidate list submissions. The commission denied the technical glitch claim. Mbalula emphasized the party's intention to correct inaccurate reporting about its candidate lists and provide a full account of events. He also expressed concern about gaps in the ANC's own vetting system. The review found that over 200 identity numbers were recorded at branch meetings without verification. The party aims to upgrade its membership database and establish links with Home Affairs and the Electoral Commission for automatic verification in future.",
  "summary": "Mbalula was at pains to stress that the ANC's court challenge should not be read as an attack on the credibility of the electoral process.",
  "key_points": [],
  "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."
}