The ANC has conceded that disputes over its fractured councillor list nomination process could result in it losing key electoral battles in the November 1 municipal election.
The disputes continue to be a thorn in the flesh for the party 20 days before the election, raising fears that it will suffer the same fate it did in 2016 when it failed to win an outright majority in crucial metros such as Tshwane, Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay.
“The disputes and [people] working against the ANC will reduce our chances [and] work against us. [It] will make us lose elections like we did [before],” the party’s head of elections, Fikile Mbalula, said.
Drafting of the ANC’s candidate list was marred by disputes, allegations of vote rigging, manipulation and violence in the selection process at branch level, resulting in the party missing the Electoral Commission of SA’s (IEC) initial August deadline to submit candidate names.
The party was handed a lifeline by the IEC when it extended the deadline to September, allowing the ANC to submit 4,468 ward candidates and 257 municipal candidates to the electoral body.
Though the ANC plans to resolve the long-standing disputes after the elections, the party hauled disgruntled branches to a meeting on Monday to iron out alleged list manipulation in a bid to avoid losing further electoral support among its members.
A report presented to party officials in Tshwane on Monday showed that the ANC’s support in Nelson Mandela Bay remains below the 50+1 majority required to lead the municipal council, according to Mbalula.
The ANC lost control of Nelson Mandela Bay to the DA in the previous municipal elections, falling to 41.02% of the vote against the DA’s 46.55%. The DA has led a fragile coalition in the council since then.
In Tshwane, ANC structures have also been mired in claims of vote-rigging and manipulation of candidate lists. In September, councillor candidate Tshepo Motaung was shot dead outside his home as factions within the region continued to battle it out.
Mbalula blamed the ongoing row over councillor nominations on vigilante groups that have “infiltrated” the ANC, leading to political infighting. Fighting for political positions ahead of the election has been a growing trend in KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng.
The violence in Tshwane goes back to 2016 when some ANC members were unhappy with the party’s decision to nominate current minister of land Thoko Didiza as its Tshwane mayoral candidate.
Security forces were on the alert to ensure the smooth running of the election and to prevent any disruptions, Mbabula said. “Some of our posters in Tshwane have been taken down by people who purported themselves to be ANC members and who are aggrieved,” he said.
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