South African Constitutional Court rules in favor of ANC candidate lists

The Constitutional Court of South Africa has ruled in favor of the African National Congress (ANC), allowing the party to amend its councillor candidate lists for the upcoming local government elections. The ruling overturns a previous Electoral Court decision that had supported the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in excluding 181 of the ANC’s candidates due to missed submission deadlines.

Justice Rammaka Mathopo directed the IEC to include the party’s ward candidate nominations on the ballot papers for the November 4 elections. In response, the IEC stated it will comply with the court’s order, noting its constitutional obligation to implement the decision despite its previous stance on strict adherence to electoral deadlines.

The judgment has drawn criticism from opposition parties. Helen Zille of the Democratic Alliance (DA) expressed concern regarding the precedent set by the ruling, suggesting it undermines the requirement for strict compliance with electoral rules. The ANC’s victory allows it to include candidates that were initially excluded because their names were not captured in the system before the deadline.