MAHIKENG, North West — Members of the African National Congress (ANC) in the North West province are raising serious concerns over the party’s candidate list for the upcoming 2026 local government elections. Several branch members claim their names were omitted from the official roster submitted to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), despite securing majority support during community nomination meetings.
Political parties were required to submit their finalized lists of nominated candidates to the IEC by last week Friday. However, the ANC’s nomination process in the province is now facing intense scrutiny from within its own ranks.
Pule Mokgele, the ANC branch chairperson for Inwood 9 in the Mahikeng sub-region, is among those whose names were allegedly left off the final list. Mokgele stated that he received the most votes from the community during the nomination process, yet the party endorsed a different individual.
“I am the candidate who got the most votes from the community,” Mokgele said. “Now, the candidate that I see on the list has never been elected by any community meeting. If the ANC turns a blind eye to these things, I am willing to take this to a court of law so that they can intervene.”
Other aggrieved members have echoed these sentiments, pleading with the ANC leadership to resolve the matter swiftly as community anger grows. One affected candidate expressed shock over the outcome of the recent Branch General Meeting (BGM), noting that the name appearing on the submitted list belongs to an individual who did not attend the community meetings and was possibly working elsewhere on the day of the nominations.
“I emerged from a community meeting with the top votes, and then I am surprised that the name that came out is one we never expected,” the member stated, adding that the local community of 47 is fully aware of the discrepancy and is demanding a straight answer from party officials.
As of now, the ANC leadership in the North West has not responded to inquiries regarding these allegations of procedural irregularities and candidate omissions. With the November local government elections approaching, the pressure is mounting for the party to address the internal dissent and clarify the selection process before potential legal challenges derail their campaign preparations.
