An ANC member from the Western Cape has approached the Cape Town High Court in an urgent bid to stop the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) from recognising a rival party member as the ANC’s candidate for Ward 98 in Khayelitsha.
Anele Gabuza alleges that despite winning both the initial and final branch general meetings (BGMs) held to select the party’s local government election candidate, his name was omitted from the final list submitted by the ANC to the IEC last Friday.
Instead, the name of Yanga Mjingwana was reportedly forwarded as the ANC’s official candidate for the ward.
Voting records at centre of legal challenge
According to court papers and annexures submitted by Gabuza, the final BGM held on August 17 overwhelmingly endorsed him as the preferred candidate.
The documents show Gabuza received 74 votes, while Yolisa Ndyalban secured 23 votes. Mjingwana allegedly did not attend the meeting.
The annexures further indicate that during the original BGM, Gabuza also emerged victorious, obtaining 58 votes compared to Mjingwana’s 36 and Ndyalban’s 24.
Gabuza says he was shocked to discover last week that Mjingwana’s name had been included on the list sent to the ANC’s national headquarters and subsequently submitted to the IEC.
‘All internal avenues exhausted’
In his court application, Gabuza argues that he has exhausted all internal ANC processes in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
He is seeking an order reviewing and setting aside the ANC’s decision to elect, select, substitute or submit Mjingwana’s name as the party’s candidate for Ward 98 in the 2026 Local Government Elections.
Gabuza maintains that he is the legitimate candidate because he emerged victorious in both duly constituted branch meetings.
The application further asks the court to declare the ANC’s decision unlawful and unconstitutional on the grounds that it allegedly contravened both the ANC Constitution and the party’s guidelines for the 2026 local government election candidate selection process.
Bid to remove rival candidate from ballot process
Among the remedies sought, Gabuza wants the court to direct the IEC to remove Mjingwana’s name as the ANC candidate for Ward 98 and prevent the commission from publishing, certifying or recognising him as the party’s official nominee.
The application also seeks a declaration that Mjingwana allegedly failed to satisfy eligibility or vetting requirements stipulated in the ANC’s candidate selection guidelines.
ANC candidate list under increasing pressure
The challenge comes amid growing controversy surrounding the ANC’s councillor candidate lists ahead of the municipal elections.
Reports have suggested that hundreds of prospective candidates were removed from party lists during a special national executive committee meeting held last week as the ANC finalised submissions ahead of the IEC deadline.
The Eastern Cape has emerged as another hotspot of discontent, with some ANC members reportedly considering legal action over allegations of irregularities and manipulation during the candidate selection process.
IEC vetting process underway
The IEC is expected to provide an update on the outcome of the councillor nomination process following the submission deadline for political parties.
Meanwhile, the commission’s vetting of nominated candidates has already commenced as preparations for the 2026 Local Government Elections gather pace.
- ANC member Anele Gabuza from the Western Cape has filed a court application to prevent the IEC from recognising Yanga Mjingwana as the ANC candidate for Ward 98 in Khayelitsha.
- Gabuza claims he won both initial and final branch general meetings for the candidacy, receiving 74 votes in the final BGM on August 17, while Mjingwana did not attend.
- Gabuza alleges his name was wrongly omitted from the final candidate list submitted to the ANC's national headquarters and then to the IEC last Friday.
- The court application seeks to declare the ANC's decision unlawful and unconstitutional, asking for Mjingwana's removal from the candidate list based on alleged non-compliance with vetting requirements.
- The IEC is currently vetting nominated candidates after a contentious candidate selection process, with reports of candidate removals and legal challenges occurring in several provinces ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.
An ANC member from the Western Cape has approached the Cape Town High Court in an urgent bid to stop the Electoral Commission of
Anele Gabuza alleges that despite winning both the initial and final branch general meetings (BGMs) held to select the party's local government election candidate, his name was omitted from the final list submitted by the ANC to the IEC last Friday.
Instead, the name of
Gabuza says he was shocked to discover last week that
In his court application, Gabuza argues that he has exhausted all internal ANC processes in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
He is seeking an order reviewing and setting aside the ANC's decision to elect, select, substitute or submit
Gabuza maintains that he is the legitimate candidate because he emerged victorious in both duly constituted branch meetings.
Reports have suggested that hundreds of prospective candidates were removed from party lists during a special national executive committee meeting held last week as the ANC finalised submissions ahead of the IEC deadline.
Meanwhile, the commission's vetting of nominated candidates has already commenced as preparations for the 2026 Local Government Elections gather pace.
