EASTERN CAPE — The African National Congress (ANC) in the Eastern Cape has officially welcomed a landmark Constitutional Court ruling that sees 181 ANC Eastern Cape candidates reinstated for the upcoming local government elections. The decision resolves a major electoral hurdle for the province, which was the most heavily impacted by the initial disqualifications.
The Eastern Cape was the most affected province in the country regarding the candidate list disqualifications, with four specific municipalities initially excluded from the ballot: Port St. John’s, Ngquza Hill, Walter Sisulu, and Sunday’s River Valley. Prior to the court’s intervention, the disqualifications had caused significant confusion on the ground, with some supporters mistakenly being told that the ANC would not be appearing on the ballot paper at all.
Eastern Cape ANC spokesperson Yanga Zicina expressed profound relief and delight following the judgment, emphasizing that the party had always maintained its compliance with all legal prescripts and legislative frameworks required for candidacy.
“It was a breathtaking moment. It was a moment of confusion. It was a moment of uncertainty,” Zicina stated, reflecting on the period before the ruling. He noted that the party had to appeal to its members to trust in the country’s constitutional democracy and its legal processes. “Mere technicalities could not prevent constitutional rights bestowed upon the members by the constitution of the country to select a leadership of their choice.”
With the legal hurdle cleared, Zicina confirmed that the party’s focus has now shifted entirely to campaigning. He urged members to reconnect with their communities, acknowledge past setbacks, and recommit to their work ahead of the 4th of July, expressing confidence that the party will emerge victorious.
The ruling also brings a close to a period of intense internal party friction. Prior to the judgment, Eastern Cape Provincial Secretary Lulama Tobi (also referred to in the transcript as Mugai Tobi) had threatened legal action against the ANC’s Secretary General. The national Secretary General was reportedly understood to have accused Tobi of being responsible for the failure to properly submit the party’s candidate list.
When pressed on the status of this potential internal legal action, Zicina declined to comment on personal disputes between individual members. Instead, he spoke on behalf of the organization, confirming that Tobi and all provincial officials are currently in a “jovial” and excited mood following the court’s decision.
Zicina commended the ANC Secretary General and the national legal team for their forefront work in leading the legal proceedings that ultimately secured the candidates’ reinstatement. Regarding any further internal legal battles, Zicina noted that those matters remain sub judice and will play themselves out at an appropriate time, with the organization providing comment only once formal court decisions are made.
For now, the Eastern Cape ANC leadership is unified in its relief, allowing the party to campaign freely and focus on its program of national democratic reconstruction in the region.
