Sibusiso Promise Dlamini says he will contest the November 4 local government elections under the banner of the Service Delivery Party (SDP) after alleging failures in the African National Congress (ANC)’s internal candidate-selection process in his ward.
Dlamini, who is currently listed by the City of Ekurhuleni as the ANC councillor for Ward 52 in Thokoza township, told Sunday World that he had decided against standing as an independent and would instead campaign on the Service Delivery Party ticket.
“I will be contesting the elections at Ward 52, not as an independent but with the Service Delivery Party, after the unresolved issues and disrespecting and not honouring the guidelines and Provincial List Committee rulings by the branch executive committee,” Dlamini said.
The dispute adds another layer to tensions around the ANC’s candidate-selection process in Ekurhuleni ahead of the municipal polls.
READ MORE: Ekurhuleni mayoral hopeful Jongizizwe Dlabathi drawn into list manipulation claims
The ANC’s 2026 candidate-selection rules place the Provincial List Committee (PLC), at the centre of disputes, appeals and vetting. The rules say the PLC oversees the nomination process in each province, administers appeals and presents proposed ward candidates for approval.
Who is Service Delivery Party?
The SDP describes itself as a community-driven movement founded in Mpumalanga. An official January 2026 Government Gazette records that the Mayibuye People Movement applied to change its registered name to Service Delivery Party, abbreviation SDP, and adopt the multicoloured thumbs-up symbol now associated with the party.
Its slogan is “Action Over Words.”
Its published priorities are service delivery, infrastructure restoration, employment creation, transparent government, essential services and community security. It specifically foregrounds water, electricity, sanitation, roads and refuse removal.
The party’s own online platform currently claims 39,000-plus “pioneers”, nine provinces and “every ward”. Certified-list-derived election databases show SDP candidates across different parts of the country, including Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, KwaZulu-Natal and municipalities in Mpumalanga.
Dispute moves from branch to ballot
Dlamini’s complaint raises questions about whether decisions taken higher up in the ANC’s candidate machinery were implemented at branch level in Ward 52.
The City of Ekurhuleni’s councillor register still identifies Dlamini as the ANC representative for Ward 52. Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) records from the 2021 local government elections also show that he was elected in the ward on an ANC ticket.
The development also turns an internal ANC selection dispute into a direct ballot-box contest, with a sitting councillor seeking to retain the same ward under another party’s banner.
READ MORE: Panic in ANC as election lists implode
Dlamini did not elaborate on the precise ruling he says was ignored nor identify the branch officials he holds responsible, but he made clear that his dispute had now translated into an electoral challenge to the party under whose banner he currently serves in council.
He said he believed his support in the ward gave him a strong chance of retaining the seat under a different banner.
“My chances are very high to win,” he said.
Campaign shifts to service delivery
Dlamini said his campaign would be built around service delivery rather than political control.
“The message is, the aim is not to rule but to serve with a bottom-to-top approach. Vote Service Delivery Party,” he said.
He also suggested that his political influence could extend beyond Ward 52 and help the party build support elsewhere in Ekurhuleni.
“And we are going to have wards that we are going to get numbers for my influence,” Dlamini said.
His move comes as political parties intensify campaigning for the November 4 elections, which the Electoral Commission has confirmed will determine municipal representation across the country.
ANC faces local fallout
For the ANC, Dlamini’s decision presents a more immediate local problem. A sitting ward councillor who entered council on its ticket is now telling voters that unresolved internal disputes and an alleged failure to implement party rules pushed him towards another party.
The IEC last week certified 136,790 candidates nationwide after reviewing nominations and supporting documents submitted by parties and independents.
- Sibusiso Promise Dlamini will contest the November 4 local government elections for Ward 52 in Thokoza township under the Service Delivery Party (SDP) banner after alleging failures in the ANC's candidate-selection process.
- Dlamini is currently listed by the City of Ekurhuleni as the ANC councillor for Ward 52 but decided against standing as an independent, choosing the SDP instead.
- The Service Delivery Party, originally registered as the Mayibuye People Movement, focuses on service delivery, infrastructure restoration, employment, transparent government, and community security.
- Dlamini's dispute highlights issues in the ANC's candidate-selection process, which is overseen by the Provincial List Committee, and turns an internal conflict into a direct electoral contest.
- The ANC faces a local challenge as a sitting councillor switches allegiance to another party, claiming unresolved internal disputes and disrespect of party guidelines influenced his decision.
Sibusiso Promise Dlamini says he will contest the November 4 local government elections under the banner of the Service Delivery Party (SDP) after alleging failures in the African National Congress (ANC)'s internal candidate-selection process in his ward.
Dlamini, who is currently listed by the City of Ekurhuleni as the ANC councillor for Ward 52 in Thokoza township, told Sunday World that he had decided against standing as an independent and would instead campaign on the Service Delivery Party ticket.
“I will be contesting the elections at Ward 52, not as an independent but with the Service Delivery Party, after the unresolved issues and disrespecting and not honouring the guidelines and Provincial List Committee rulings by the branch executive committee,” Dlamini said.
The dispute adds another layer to tensions around the ANC’s candidate-selection process in Ekurhuleni ahead of the municipal polls.
READ MORE: Ekurhuleni mayoral hopeful Jongizizwe Dlabathi drawn into list manipulation claims
The ANC’s 2026 candidate-selection rules place the Provincial List Committee (PLC), at the centre of disputes, appeals and vetting. The rules say the PLC oversees the nomination process in each province, administers appeals and presents proposed ward candidates for approval.
The SDP describes itself as a community-driven movement founded in Mpumalanga. An official January 2026 Government Gazette records that the Mayibuye People Movement applied to change its registered name to Service Delivery Party, abbreviation SDP, and adopt the multicoloured thumbs-up symbol now associated with the party.
Its slogan is “Action Over Words.”
Its published priorities are service delivery, infrastructure restoration, employment creation, transparent government, essential services and community security. It specifically foregrounds water, electricity, sanitation, roads and refuse removal.
The party's own online platform currently claims 39,000-plus “pioneers”, nine provinces and “every ward”. Certified-list-derived election databases show SDP candidates across different parts of the country, including Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, KwaZulu-Natal and municipalities in Mpumalanga.
Dlamini’s complaint raises questions about whether decisions taken higher up in the ANC’s candidate machinery were implemented at branch level in Ward 52.
The City of Ekurhuleni’s councillor register still identifies Dlamini as the ANC representative for Ward 52. Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) records from the 2021 local government elections also show that he was elected in the ward on an ANC ticket.
The development also turns an internal ANC selection dispute into a direct ballot-box contest, with a sitting councillor seeking to retain the same ward under another party’s banner.
READ MORE: Panic in ANC as election lists implode
Dlamini did not elaborate on the precise ruling he says was ignored nor identify the branch officials he holds responsible, but he made clear that his dispute had now translated into an electoral challenge to the party under whose banner he currently serves in council.
He said he believed his support in the ward gave him a strong chance of retaining the seat under a different banner.
“My chances are very high to win,” he said.
Dlamini said his campaign would be built around service delivery rather than political control.
“The message is, the aim is not to rule but to serve with a bottom-to-top approach. Vote Service Delivery Party,” he said.
He also suggested that his political influence could extend beyond Ward 52 and help the party build support elsewhere in Ekurhuleni.
“And we are going to have wards that we are going to get numbers for my influence,” Dlamini said.
His move comes as political parties intensify campaigning for the November 4 elections, which the Electoral Commission has confirmed will determine municipal representation across the country.
For the ANC, Dlamini’s decision presents a more immediate local problem. A sitting ward councillor who entered council on its ticket is now telling voters that unresolved internal disputes and an alleged failure to implement party rules pushed him towards another party.
The IEC last week certified 136,790 candidates nationwide after reviewing nominations and supporting documents submitted by parties and independents.
