The ANC has scored a major victory ahead of the November 4 local government elections after the Constitutional Court ordered the Electoral Commission (IEC) to accept candidate lists it had previously rejected.
The party approached the court after the IEC excluded its proportional representation lists and ward candidate nominations in several municipalities, including four in the Eastern Cape.
Delivering the order on Thursday morning, Justice Rammaka Mathopo said the court had, by majority decision, overturned an Electoral Court ruling in favour of the IEC last month.“
The decision of the first respondent, which is the Electoral Commission, to refuse acceptance of the applicant's party list, which is the ANC, and ward candidate nominations, in respect of Sundays River Valley Local Municipality, Walter Sisulu Local Municipality, Ngquza Hill Local Municipality, Port St. John's Local Municipality, Umshwati Local Municipality, and Mangaun Metropolitan Municipality, is set aside,” Mathopo said.
“The first respondent, which is the Electoral Commission, is directed to do all things necessary to include the party list and ward candidate nominations... in the list and nominations onto the ballot papers and all other relevant processes for the purposes of the 4th November 2026 elections.”
The ruling clears the way for the ANC's affected candidates to contest the elections in the six municipalities.
The court reserved the question of costs, with Mathopo saying reasons for the judgment would be provided at a later stage.