JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — The African National Congress (ANC) is firmly pushing back against mounting criticism over its candidate submissions to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), with Electoral Committee Secretary Chief Livhuwani Matsila leading the defense ahead of a crucial Electoral Court hearing. Matsila clarified that the party’s submission process was comprehensive, collectively managed, and completed before the August deadline, rejecting narratives of internal chaos regarding the 181 candidates whose listings remain unresolved.
Addressing the core of the dispute, Matsila emphasized that the responsibility for checking and finalizing candidate lists involved multiple party structures long before the lists reached the IEC. The process included Provincial List Committees (PLCs), Regional Interview and Vetting Panels (RIVPs), and provincial administrators who compiled the data into IEC templates. Final approval and ratification were ultimately handled by the National Executive Committee (NEC), which authorized the Secretary General’s office to upload the lists to the IEC’s electronic platform.
Matsila specifically addressed recent public statements made by ANC Secretary General Mr. Fikile Mbalula, who noted in a recent statement that he was accounting for his work rather than defending himself, and cautioned against calling for heads to roll before the release of Comrade Kgalema Motlanthe’s report. Matsila aligned with this sentiment, clarifying that the issue currently before the Electoral Court is not about invalid ID numbers. While incorrect ID captures were identified during internal checks, Matsila maintained that these errors were resolved satisfactorily with the provincial structures before the final submission to the IEC.
“The issue we are trying to resolve with the IEC is not resulting from the capturing of invalid IDs,” Matsila stated. “That has been a problem, but it has since been resolved satisfactorily before we submitted lists to the IEC.”
When pressed on the scale of the discrepancy, Matsila provided statistical context to counter what he described as a media frenzy. Out of 2,274 incomplete candidate submissions recorded across all political parties on the IEC platform, the ANC accounts for 181 candidates, representing roughly 8 percent of the total. Furthermore, out of the ANC’s total pool of 9,128 candidates, the 181 affected individuals constitute approximately 1.9 percent. The affected group includes roughly 130 candidates on proportional representation lists and 51 ward candidates spread across six councils.
Despite the party’s insistence that the numbers are statistically small, the human element of the discrepancy carries significant political weight. Reverend Frank Chikane, widely tipped to be the ANC’s premier mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, is among those affected. When questioned about the potential socioeconomic and political impact of Chikane being left off the ballot, Matsila pushed back against the premise that any single individual is irreplaceable.
“The ANC has no scarcity of skills in this kind of work,” Matsila explained, noting that the party possesses a deep pool of capable comrades who can step into leadership roles if necessary. He emphasized that it is incorrect to create a narrative where certain individuals are deemed indispensable, adding that the nomination of mayoral candidates remains a mandate delegated to national officials, and no final predetermined decisions have been publicly compromised.
Addressing concerns that approaching the judiciary undermines the electoral body, Matsila firmly rejected the characterization that the ANC is placing a blemish on the IEC. He noted that the party is not blaming the commission, nor is it seeking special treatment. Instead, the ANC is exercising a lawful remedy.
“When you go to court using the Electoral Commission Act, which says you can appeal the decision of the IEC in case you don’t agree with it, there is no blemish being placed on the IEC,” Matsila concluded. “The outcome can actually strengthen the integrity of the IEC because the Electoral Commission Act is a valid law that provides for the appeal of decisions. We are simply using the law, and we will allow the legal process to take its course.”
The Electoral Court is expected to review the matter to determine whether the ANC’s submissions, which the party maintains were uploaded to the IEC portal by 5:00 p.m. on August 20, can be legally recognized and finalized.
