Staff Reporter
Friday’s ruling by the Constitutional Court that local government elections should be held by early November could mean the ANC won’t be able to field candidates in at least five municipalities in the Free State.
The party failed to submit all its candidates’ names ahead of the August 23 deadline set by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
Nationally, the party might field candidates in over 30 municipalities.
The ConCourt ruled against an application by the IEC to have the local government elections held next year citing COVID-19 limitations.
Instead, the court ordered the elections to be held between October 27 and November 1.
The fumbling by the ANC means it will not be able to field close to 52 candidates in the province.
Interim Provincial Committee member Oupa Khoabane told The Free Stater in a written response that the candidates’ names were declined after some details were entered incorrectly.
“About 52 candidates were affected . . . (they were) kicked out by the IEC system due to mistakes in ID numbers,” he said in a brief response.
Khoabane said most those affected were from municipalities in Lejweleputswa and Thabo Mofutsanyana districts.
He could however not name the actual municipalities.
“The mistakes happened due to the processes undertaken in compiling the lists for submission to the IEC,” Khoabane explained.
Further investigation by this publication established that in Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality the ANC failed to register at least 16 candidates while in Matjhabeng municipality about 17 names were thrown out.
Dihlabeng Local Municipality had eight candidates failing to make the list, while Moqkaka had six and Ngwathe four.