The Democratic Alliance (DA) opposes the African National Congress (ANC) application to submit candidate lists late in six municipalities after the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) rejected the lists for missing a 5pm deadline. The dispute centers on whether the candidates can be admitted despite the late submission.
The IEC’s decision triggers the legal and political challenge. The DA argues that election deadlines must be enforced and that late submissions should not be accepted. The ANC, by contrast, seeks to have the rejected lists considered, implying that the circumstances around the missed deadline warrant an exception. The outcome will determine which parties’ lists are used for the affected municipalities and could affect the balance of candidates across those local government contests.
