The Constitutional Court’s decision to reinstate 181 African National Congress (ANC) candidates ahead of the November 4 local government elections has triggered fresh questions about the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) treatment of political parties, the enforcement of candidate nomination deadlines and the practical consequences of its electronic submission system.

The ruling, handed down on Thursday, October 15, overturns an Electoral Court decision that upheld the IEC’s rejection of the ANC’s candidate lists in six municipalities after the party failed to complete the final electronic submission process before the August deadline. The IEC must now take all necessary steps to ensure the affected candidates appear on the relevant ballot papers and are included in the remaining electoral processes.

The judgment has prompted the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and the Afrika Mayibuye Movement to call for fair treatment of other political parties that found themselves in similar circumstances after failing to finalise candidate submissions.