32 More Parties Get a Lifeline After ANC's ConCourt Win

More Parties Get a Lifeline After ANC's ConCourt Win

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has extended the effect of a Constitutional Court ruling on the ANC's candidate lists to 32 other political parties, saying it would be unfair to exclude parties in similar circumstances. IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya announced the decision on Friday, 16 October 2026, a day after the apex court ordered 181 ANC candidates onto the ballot for the 4 November local government elections.

The result is a much bigger ballot-printing job. About 33 million ballots are now needed across 107 municipalities. The IEC says it does not currently expect the election date to move, but it admits its logistics have been seriously disrupted.

Key facts

• The Constitutional Court ordered the IEC on Thursday, 15 October to include 181 ANC candidates: 51 ward candidates and 130 proportional representation candidates.
• On Friday the IEC extended the same treatment to 32 other parties that had nominated compliant candidates and paid deposits but missed the final submission step.
• Those 32 parties intended to contest 121 local municipalities, and the extension affects 107 of them.
• About 33 million ballots are needed. Roughly 27 million were already printed and 6.6 million are still to be printed.
• Thirteen other parties failed to meet the requirements even after the extension.
• Election Day is Wednesday, 4 November, with special voting on 2 and 3 November.

What happened

Thursday: the Constitutional Court rules

In a majority judgment, the Constitutional Court upheld the ANC's appeal and set aside the IEC's refusal to accept the party's lists and ward nominations in six municipalities: Sundays River Valley, Walter Sisulu, Ngquza Hill, Port St Johns, uMshwathi and Mangaung Metro. Justice Rammaka Mathopo read out the order. Two judges disagreed, and the court said it would give its full reasons later.

The six municipalities are spread across KwaZulu-Natal, the Free State and the Eastern Cape. The IEC said it respects the court as the final authority and would carry out the order.

How the dispute began

The ANC argued that it uploaded its candidates to the IEC's online nomination system before the August deadline, but that a technical problem stopped the lists from being properly captured. The IEC's position was that the party never completed the final step of submitting its lists as final. The Electoral Court sided with the IEC in September, which sent the ANC to the Constitutional Court.

The IEC had earlier warned that more than 40 parties, with over 2,000 candidates between them, were in the same position as the ANC. That is why Thursday's ruling raised an immediate question about whether other parties would be treated the same way.

Friday: the IEC extends the ruling

Moepya said the commission had resolved to treat 32 similarly placed parties like the ANC, citing the constitutional requirement for free and fair elections and the principle of equal treatment. These parties had nominated compliant candidates and paid their election deposits, but had not submitted their final lists by the deadline. The commission will now treat them as having lawfully submitted.

The IEC found that 13 other parties still did not qualify. Moepya said they had unmet requirements such as unpaid election deposits and not being registered on the voters' roll in the municipalities where they wanted to stand. Together, the 32 accepted parties and the 13 rejected ones add up to 45, which fits the IEC's earlier estimate of "more than 40".

The ballot-paper problem

The extension means about 33 million ballots must be produced in total. Around 27 million had already been printed, so 6.6 million remain. The IEC had held back printing for the six municipalities in the ANC case until the court ruled, so Moepya said no wasted printing costs were incurred for those areas.

Moepya said the remaining work will have to happen in a short window and "under very strict supervision". He did not say the election date is at risk.

Reaction

Democratic Alliance Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille said the judgment made no sense to her. She said that from the outside "it appears as if the rules do not apply to the ANC", and warned it sets a poor precedent and puts the IEC under heavy logistical pressure. She added that the DA will abide by the ruling.

What this means for you

Your ballot may carry more names. In the six municipalities involved in the court case, the ANC's previously excluded candidates now appear. In other affected municipalities, some of the 32 parties may be added once they confirm they still want to stand.

The dates have not changed. Special voting for eligible voters who applied takes place on 2 and 3 November, and Election Day is Wednesday, 4 November, which has been declared a public holiday.

Check your voting station early. With a compressed timetable, confirm your voting station and registration through the IEC's official channels well before 4 November, rather than on the day.

What happens next

• The IEC will contact the 32 parties to confirm whether they still plan to contest.
• Parties that do will get a short window to meet the nomination requirements and, where needed, add or replace names on multiple lists. Candidate certificates will then be issued.
• The remaining 6.6 million ballots must be printed, and the process involves only the 33 affected parties.
• The Constitutional Court is still to publish its full reasons for the ruling.

Frequently asked questions

Why did the ANC's candidates miss the deadline?

The ANC says a technical problem with the IEC's online system stopped its lists from being captured. The IEC says the lists were uploaded but never submitted as final.

How many candidates are affected?

The court order covers 181 ANC candidates: 51 ward candidates and 130 proportional representation candidates in six municipalities.

Which parties get the same treatment?

Thirty-two parties that nominated compliant candidates and paid deposits but missed the final submission step. The IEC will contact them to confirm they still want to take part.

Will the election be postponed?

The IEC says it does not currently expect the date to change. It has acknowledged that preparations have been seriously disrupted.

Why were 13 parties left out?

According to the IEC, they did not meet requirements such as paying election deposits and being registered on the voters' roll in the municipalities where they planned to stand.

Join the conversation

Is the IEC's decision to treat parties equally the right call, or does it weaken the deadline rules? Tell us in the comments and share this article with someone who votes on 4 November.

Also read: Two ANC members shot dead while campaigning in Umgababa and more in our Politics section.

Never miss a major story. Get breaking news and the latest developments from South Africa and beyond as they happen.