The Electoral Commission of South Africa has refuted the African National Congress's (ANC) assertion that technical issues prevented the submission of candidate lists in six municipalities. Using the ANC's own digital activity, the commission demonstrated that the party successfully submitted other candidate lists shortly before the August 28 deadline. This contradicts the ANC's argument that a system glitch caused the delay.
In court documents, the chief electoral officer, Sy Mamabolo, stated that while some municipalities showed no activity during the critical period, the ANC managed to meet the deadline in other areas. The commission maintains that the ANC was not a victim of an unforeseen system error but rather failed to comply with the submission requirements.
The dispute highlights tensions between the ruling party and the electoral body. The ANC had previously claimed that the system's technical limitations hindered its ability to meet the deadline. However, the IEC's findings suggest that the party had the capability to submit candidates on time.
The case is ongoing, with the ANC likely to challenge the findings. The outcome could have significant implications for the legitimacy of the election process and the ANC's standing in the political landscape.
