Cartoon of the day: 7 September 2026 | The Citizen

Questions over who is to blame for the ANC’s election candidate list fiasco have led some to believe that party secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has been thrown under the bus.

The party’s incompetence has seen it fail to submit all the names of its candidates for this year’s local government elections.

It has been blamed on a possible technical glitch, with opposition parties warning that the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) should not give the party special treatment.

The issue has sparked criticism from within the ANC’s leadership structures, with several National Executive Committee (NEC) members reportedly arguing that Mbalula must account for what happened.

Some party leaders believe the omissions could affect the ANC’s electoral prospects in municipalities across the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Free State.

NEC member Mondli Gungubele was among those who publicly criticised the matter.

“The failure to submit municipalities and a set of candidates to the IEC is a scandalous incident that cannot be joked about. As leadership, if we cannot be embarrassed by this, we aren’t worth the idea.”

Speaking during a campaign event in Ekurhuleni, Ramaphosa addressed concerns after the ANC missed the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) deadline to submit some candidate lists in parts of the Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

He said the ANC was not the only party affected by the reported technical difficulties.

“This is not only affecting the ANC. I’m told a number of other parties were affected as well. Technical glitches should not, in the end, deprive our people of their democratic right to vote for candidates of their choice.”

Party President Cyril Ramaphosa said discussions between the IEC, political parties and the Political Party Liaison Committee were under way to find a solution.

“I am certain that a solution will be found. The Political Party Liaison Committee, the IEC and the affected parties will be able to find a way forward. I do believe that a solution should be at hand soon.”

The ANC president also confirmed that the party was considering legal avenues, including approaching the Electoral Court.

“The Electoral Court is a specialist institution mandated to deal with these types of disputes and challenges. It should be able to provide certainty on the matter.”