PRETORIA, Gauteng — The recent Constitutional Court ruling on IEC candidate lists has prompted the United Democratic Movement (UDM) to demand immediate corrective action for all political parties affected by the electoral commission’s online nomination system. UDM leader Bantu Holomisa welcomed the judgment, which reinstated 181 African National Congress (ANC) candidates, but emphasized that the decision must serve as a precedent to protect the democratic rights of other parties facing similar technical disenfranchisement ahead of the November 2026 Local Government Elections.
Vindication Amidst Systemic Glitches
The Constitutional Court’s judgment in favor of the ANC paves the way for 181 candidates, who were previously excluded from six municipalities, to be included on the upcoming ballot paper. According to Holomisa, the ruling presents a critical opportunity to address deep-rooted concerns regarding the reliability and transparency of the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) online nomination system.
Holomisa noted that the UDM was also severely affected by the IEC candidate-list controversy, particularly in the Buffalo City Metro in the Eastern Cape. He explained that the judgment vindicates political parties that have long complained about the system’s technical flaws.
“The system will accept them and then later you are informed by email that this person is not entitled to be there. Yet the system should immediately inform you that the candidate in question is not eligible,” Holomisa explained, highlighting that parties are only made aware of submission problems at a later stage. He referred to the frustration of candidates being disqualified simply for failing to press a “certain button” on the digital platform.
Critique of the IEC’s Legal Posture
Beyond the technical failures, the UDM leader took aim at the IEC’s decision to oppose the ANC’s application in the Constitutional Court. Holomisa argued that by fighting the paperwork, the electoral commission blurred the lines of its neutrality.
“I could see that the IEC was in a tight corner,” Holomisa stated, adding that the judges frequently referenced the IEC and the Democratic Alliance (DA) together during proceedings. “I don’t think we need that… they tend to portray them as if they are an opposition. Instead, they should just leave this to the complainant and then let the judges make their own determination.”
He stressed that political parties are the custodians of the IEC and offered the commission “friendly advice” to promote the ethics of good governance. Furthermore, Holomisa raised concerns about the financial barriers to justice, noting that South Africa’s democracy is becoming “too expensive” for many, as parties are forced to spend vast amounts of money to litigate their electoral rights.
A Call for Broader Electoral Fairness
While the ConCourt ruling specifically addressed the ANC’s 181 candidates across six municipalities, the implications extend much further. It is now understood that 23 political parties—down from an initial estimate of over 40—were similarly placed and affected by the same online nomination glitches.
Holomisa is urging the IEC to look at the broader effect of the judgment. He called for the electoral commission to sit down with the affected parties and provide a reasonable window, such as two days, to allow them to rectify and resubmit their nominations.
“What we should be looking at currently is the effect of the judgment,” Holomisa urged. “Let us have a proper interpretation… What about those parties which could not achieve their objective on that day, being frustrated by the system of the IEC, which has exposed it now? Let us be fair.”
Resolving the UDM’s Buffalo City Dispute
The Constitutional Court precedent also has direct implications for the UDM’s own ongoing dispute with the IEC regarding their ward lists in the Buffalo City municipality. The party faced an anomaly where only their mayoral candidate—the party’s deputy president—appeared as a ward candidate due to the same systemic submission errors.
When questioned about the status of this dispute, Holomisa dismissed suggestions that the UDM had failed to submit their lists, clarifying that their query mirrored the exact same technical issues affecting other parties.
“This judgment, as far as we can see and interpret it, takes us straight to the IEC to qualify us to participate on the same level and scale as the ANC, because there is a precedent as a result of this judgment,” Holomisa asserted.
Confident in the legal precedent set by the ANC’s victory, the UDM leader confirmed that the party will field its Proportional Representation (PR) candidates for Buffalo City. “There’s no way that you can lock out the candidates of the UDM in Buffalo City,” he concluded, signaling that the party expects the IEC to apply the Constitutional Court’s ruling equally to all affected political formations.
