ANC NEC member Andile Lungisa has filed an urgent court application at the Johannesburg High Court to challenge his exclusion from the Nelson Mandela Bay candidate list for the November 4 local elections. Lungisa alleges that ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula personally instructed officials to remove his name from the list during a hotel meeting, a claim he says breaches party procedures.

Legal Challenge And Official Response

The urgent court application was lodged with the Johannesburg High Court on September 10, with Lungisa arguing that his omission breaches ANC procedures and is politically motivated. He further contends that the decision undermines the party’s processes for candidate selection.

The ANC’s leadership reaction focused on internal mechanisms. Gwede Mantashe publicly criticised Lungisa’s decision, emphasising that disputes should be resolved within the party rather than in court.

Context And Electoral Implications

The broader crisis centres on the ANC’s failure to submit candidate details to the IEC by the August 28 deadline for 181 positions across six municipalities. The party has attributed the missing entries to technical glitches, a claim amid ongoing discussions about the party’s preparedness for the elections.

Separately, the Electoral Court is scheduled to hear a broader dispute on September 15 regarding the party’s failure to submit lists. Further developments are expected as the party navigates the crisis ahead of the November 4 local elections.