The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has confirmed that 32 political parties will be granted an opportunity to have their candidate lists accepted for the local government elections scheduled for 4 November 2026. This decision follows the Constitutional Court’s recent ruling in favour of the African National Congress (ANC), which ordered the IEC to include 181 ANC candidates across six municipalities.
IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya said: “The commission has resolved that the 32 similarly-situated parties must be deemed to have lawfully submitted their candidates.” These parties had complied with nomination requirements and paid deposits but failed to submit their final candidate lists on time, placing them in a position similar to that of the ANC in the court ruling.
The IEC indicated that these 32 parties intend to contest in 121 municipalities nationwide. The commission will soon contact them to confirm their participation in the 4 November local government elections.
However, 13 other political parties did not meet necessary requirements such as submitting election deposits or complying with voter-roll registration rules, and therefore will not receive the same relief.
Despite these adjustments, the IEC has stated that the November election date will remain unchanged, ensuring continued electoral stability.
The Constitutional Court’s directive emphasised the urgency to include all qualified parties’ candidate lists and ward nominations for the upcoming elections. This development affects election preparations across at least 121 municipalities, underscoring the need for extensive logistical coordination to accommodate the additional candidates.
While some reports have speculated on potential impacts like increased printing volumes for ballots or cost adjustments, these claims have not been independently verified by multiple sources at this time.
The inclusion of the 32 political parties follows the Constitutional Court’s 15 October ruling in favour of the ANC after it challenged the IEC over excluded candidate lists. The court mandated the IEC to ensure full inclusion of lawful candidates for a fair and representative election.
South Africans will vote in the local government elections on 4 November, with candidates from a diverse range of parties contesting positions across municipalities in the Cape Flats and nationwide.
This extension of relief to multiple parties highlights the IEC’s effort to apply the Constitutional Court ruling equitably, maintaining the integrity of the electoral process while balancing procedural compliance.
CapeFlats.co.za will continue monitoring developments and confirm which parties proceed to contest as the IEC finalises candidate lists in the coming weeks.