Key Takeaways
- The ANC asserts that its candidate lists for the 2026 local government elections were fully uploaded before the IEC’s 17:00 deadline on 28 August, blaming technical glitches in the IEC’s Online Candidate Nomination System (OCNS) for the failure to finalize submissions.
- The IEC maintains that its system operated without faults, stating that 2 274 candidates were captured but not finally submitted, and therefore are ineligible for the election.
- The dispute centers on a missing final electronic confirmation step for a portion of the lists, affecting roughly 150 of the over 10 000 candidates the ANC nominated.
- ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu says the problem was reported as it arose and spans multiple provinces, including the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu‑Natal, and the Free State’s Mangaung metro.
- The ANC refuses to condone a late nomination, requesting only that the IEC process the data already stored in its system before the deadline.
- ANC electoral committee chairperson Kgalema Motlanthe described the nomination process as a “resounding success” and expressed confidence that a solution will broaden democratic participation.
- The IEC has opened the candidate nomination system from 21 June 2026 and plans to proceed with the November elections, which will feature more than 142 000 candidates vying for 10 500 seats.
- Ongoing engagement between the ANC and the IEC aims to resolve the issue through proper channels while preserving confidence in the credibility of South Africa’s electoral process.
Background and ANC Claim
The African National Congress (ANC) has alleged that technical glitches within the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) Online Candidate Nomination System (OCNS) prevented the party from finalising its candidate submissions for the 2026 local government elections. According to ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu, the party completed the upload of all nominated candidate lists before the 17:00 cutoff on 28 August, asserting that the submission was “100% complete.” The ANC argues that the IEC’s system failed to provide the final electronic confirmation required to lock in those lists, thereby causing the discrepancy between what the party believes was submitted and what the IEC recorded as finalised.
IEC’s Position
In stark contrast, the IEC has denied any system failure on the day of the deadline. The commission stated that its online platform operated without issues and that 2 274 potential candidates were captured in the OCNS but were not finally submitted by the 17:00 deadline. Consequently, the IEC regards those candidates as not being in contention for the upcoming election. The commission emphasized that the responsibility for completing the final submission step lies with the political parties, and that no technical malfunction was detected that would excuse incomplete submissions.
Details of the Technical Issue
Bhengu elaborated that the problem emerged during the closing hours of the nomination window, specifically concerning the system’s final electronic confirmation step. She noted that the records of the affected candidates had already been captured and stored within the OCNS before the deadline, but the final confirmation button failed to process for a portion of the lists. The ANC reported the issue to the IEC as it occurred and is now engaging with the commission through formal channels to rectify the situation. Importantly, the ANC stresses that it is not seeking to add any names that were not already in the system by the deadline, nor to amend or reorder existing lists.
Geographic Impact
The alleged glitch affected candidates across several provinces. Bhengu highlighted that municipalities in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu‑Natal, as well as the Mangaung metro in the Free State, experienced difficulties. She added that all nine provinces had completed the work allocated to them, with provincial secretaries, list committees, and the ANC electoral committee overseeing the upload of branch‑ and region‑nominated candidates onto the OCNS. Despite the widespread nature of the effort, the confirmation failure impacted roughly 150 out of the over 10 000 candidates the ANC nominated—a figure the party describes as significant because each candidate represents a community’s voice.
ANC’s Response and Request
The ANC has made it clear that it does not condone a late nomination and is not asking the IEC to overlook procedural rules. Instead, the party requests that the IEC recognise and process the data that its own system had already received and stored before the deadline, treating it as a valid submission rather than discarding it due to a technical hiccup that blocked the final confirmation step. Bhengu reiterated that the ANC’s aim is to ensure that every legitimate candidate nominated by its branches and communities appears on the ballot, thereby upholding the principle of broad participation in South Africa’s democracy.
Statements from Leadership
ANC electoral committee chairperson and former president Kgalema Motlanthe weighed in on the controversy, describing the overall candidate nomination and submission process as a “resounding success.” He expressed confidence that a solution would be found, one that would expand rather than constrain democratic participation. Motlanthe’s comments underscore the ANC’s broader stance that, despite the current hiccup, the party remains committed to working with the IEC to deliver free, fair, and credible elections, and it will keep the electorate informed as the engagement progresses.
Broader Electoral Context
The dispute unfolds against the backdrop of a massive electoral exercise: more than 142 000 candidates are set to contest approximately 10 500 seats in the November 2026 local government elections. The IEC had opened the candidate nomination system on 21 June 2026, providing parties with a window to submit their lists. While the ANC’s contention involves a relatively small fraction of the total nominations, the party argues that even a modest number of omitted candidates can have outsized implications for local representation and community trust in the electoral process.
Conclusion and Outlook
As the ANC and the IEC continue their dialogue, the core issue remains whether the IEC will accept the data already lodged in its system as a valid submission, despite the missing final confirmation step. Both parties appear committed to resolving the matter through established procedural channels, with the ANC emphasizing its readiness to contest the elections nationwide and its confidence in the IEC’s constitutional mandate. The outcome of this engagement will likely influence perceptions of electoral integrity in South Africa and may set a precedent for how technical challenges are handled in future nomination cycles.