The African National Congress (ANC) in OR Tambo region has welcomed the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) ruling allowing the party’s 181 councillor candidates to contest the November 4 local government elections, however, the region insists that the party’s Secretary-General’s Office (SGO) led by Fikile Mbalula must account for failing to submit the candidates before the deadline.
ANC OR Tambo deputy regional secretary Mvuyisi Mbhede on Thursday afternoon told Sunday World that the judgment was a relief for the region, which was among those affected by the failure to complete the candidate submission process.
He said the ruling meant voters in Ngquza Hill and Port St Johns would be able to vote for the party of their choice, describing both municipalities in the OR Tambo region as ANC strongholds.
“The only thing that I can tell you is that as the regional executive committee of O.R. Tambo, the structures we are very happy about the judgment that has been handed over today (Thursday) by the ConCourt with regard to the issue of Ngquza Hills and Port St Johns matter. It was a liquidation of the ANC from power. So at least now, people will be able to exercise their right to vote for their party that they believe in,” he said.
The candidate submission failure affected six municipalities across three provinces: Port St Johns, Ngquza Hill, Walter Sisulu, and Sundays River Valley in the Eastern Cape; Mangaung in the Free State, and uMshwathi in KwaZulu-Natal. In Port St Johns and Ngquza Hill, the ANC faced the prospect of contesting the November 4 elections without any candidates after its lists were excluded.
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However, Mbhede said the court victory should not shield those responsible for the administrative failure from accountability within the party:
“To be rescued by the court doesn’t mean we are competent. We are not competent. This incompetence must be dealt with internally as the ANC.”
“Those people who were responsible for the submission of this list, in this case it was the office of the Secretary General, or SGO, must come and account to the people of the ANC in our sub-regions. Tell us what happened, give explanation,” he said.
The regional secretary said the experience had been painful for the party and should not be taken lightly. He argued that the ANC needed to reconsider its centralised approach to candidate submissions, proposing that provinces should once again handle submissions to prevent a similar crisis.
Mbhede’s comments come amid wider tensions within the ANC over the handling of candidate lists and the role of secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, whose office has faced scrutiny over the failed submissions.
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However, Mbhede said the dispute would not cause a rift between OR Tambo and the party’s national leadership. He said the region wanted answers and consequences for those responsible, rather than a breakdown in relations.
“There will be no rift here. All we want is an explanation of what happened. And there must be accountability. There must be consequences; consequence management about this issue,” he said.
With the local government elections approaching, Mbhede said the region’s immediate priority was to mobilise its structures, volunteers and resources to campaign in the affected municipalities.
He expressed confidence that the ANC could secure strong support in the area despite only three weeks before election day.
- The Constitutional Court ruled in favor of the ANC's 181 councillor candidates contesting the November 4 local government elections in OR Tambo region.
- The failure to submit candidate lists on time affected six municipalities across three provinces, including Port St Johns and Ngquza Hill in the Eastern Cape.
- ANC OR Tambo deputy regional secretary Mvuyisi Mbhede called for accountability from the Secretary-General’s Office led by Fikile Mbalula for the submission failure.
- Mbhede criticized the party’s centralised approach to candidate submissions and suggested provinces should handle submissions to avoid future issues.
- Despite tensions, the OR Tambo region seeks explanations and consequences but does not want a rift with the ANC’s national leadership.
