JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — The African National Congress (ANC) has announced it will firmly oppose the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) application to intervene in the ongoing candidate list case at the Electoral Court. The legal dispute centers on the lodgement of political candidates in six municipalities ahead of the local government elections scheduled for 4 November 2026.
The DA recently approached the court seeking leave to intervene and become a formal party in the litigation between the ANC and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). However, in a statement issued from Luthuli House, the ANC declared that the DA has no standing in the matter, emphasizing under the heading that “the right to vote is not the DA’s to narrow.”
The ANC clarified that its application is directed solely at a decision made by the Electoral Commission, which is the official respondent in the case. The ruling party noted that the IEC is fully capable of defending its own decision regarding the candidate lodgement events of 28 August, and stressed that the DA was not a party to that original decision.
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula strongly criticized the DA’s legal maneuver, stating that the opposition party’s recent public statements misrepresent both the ANC’s actual legal requests and the individuals affected by the case.
“The DA has no quarrel with the commission and no quarrel with the law. Its quarrel is with the voters of six municipalities who might choose somebody other than the DA,” Mbalula stated.
He further highlighted the disproportionate impact of the DA’s proposed intervention, noting, “Nothing the ANC asks for takes a single DA candidate off any ballot. What the DA asked for takes 2,274 candidates off the ballot, and 44 of the 45 parties they belong to are not the ANC.”
As the legal proceedings advance, the ANC has officially instructed its legal representatives to vigorously oppose the DA’s inclusion in the proceedings. The statement signals that the opposition party will face significant legal resistance in its attempt to join the case as a formal party, as the ANC prepares to defend its candidate list submissions before the Electoral Court.