ANC candidate list disputes deepen ahead of ConCourt showdown – report

NWC members allegedly rejected the suggestion that several mayoral candidate omissions were accidental. The African National Congress (ANC) is facing growing questions over its candidate selection process after divisions reportedly emerged within the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) over the circumstances surrounding the omission of dozens of mayoral candidates. The dispute centres on a proposed investigation into the party’s candidate lists and what led to the names of 51 mayoral candidates being excluded from the final document. The NWC, which has 27 members and includes the ANC’s top seven national officials, reportedly held a heated discussion over the terms of reference for the investigation. LIVE interactive map, latest news, multimedia and more! View Map The probe follows an internal report compiled, which found that 51 mayoral candidates had not made it onto the final lists. The omissions affected several prominent ANC figures, including veteran party member Frank Chikane, who was expected to stand for the mayoral position in the City of Johannesburg. ANC MP Soviet Lekganyane was also affected after he was nominated for the position of mayor of Polokwane Local Municipality. ANC NWC squabble over alleged candidate list error The explanation that the omissions were caused by an administrative mistake has reportedly failed to convince some members of the NWC. According to the Sunday Times, several committee members challenged the explanation provided by the ANC’s top seven officials, among them secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, who is already under fire within the party. The NWC members reportedly pointed to what they regarded as a significant pattern: the mayoral candidates who had been nominated directly by communities were allegedly the ones excluded. This has fuelled concerns that the omissions may have undermined an effort to give communities greater influence over the selection of mayoral candidates. One party leader reportedly rejected the suggestion that the omissions were simply accidental, while another shared the concerns but stopped short of blaming the party’s top seven for deliberately causing the omissions. The official instead pointed to the broader leadership structures involved in the process, arguing that the NWC and National Executive Committee (NEC) also carried responsibility. Electoral Court defeat adds to pressure The internal dispute over the mayoral candidates comes against the backdrop of another candidate list crisis that has placed the ANC in a legal battle with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). The ANC missed the deadline for submitting 181 councillor nominations to the IEC ahead of the local government elections on 4 November. The deadline expired at 5pm on 28 August, with the ANC attributing the failure to submit the nominations electronically to a “technical glitch“. The omission meant that the affected candidates were not included on the ballot in six municipalities, including Manguang. The ANC then turned to the Electoral Court in an attempt to have the candidates reinstated. However, the party’s application was unsuccessful. The ANC has since taken the matter further by lodging an appeal application with the Constitutional Court (ConCourt). The matter is reportedly expected to be heard in the coming week, according to the Sunday Times. The party has argued that the dispute extends beyond its own interests, saying an adverse ruling would affect the constitutional rights of both candidates and voters. It maintains that candidates who were properly nominated could be prevented from exercising their right to contest public office, while voters could also be denied the opportunity “vote for a political party of their choice”.