LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026: ANC abandons plan to name mayoral candidates amid fears of supporter backlash

The ANC has abandoned plans to name its preferred candidates before the 4 November local government elections due to fears that announcing them could deepen internal divisions and undermine its election campaign.

Daily Maverick understands that the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) was worried that announcing its preferred candidates could trigger resistance and pushback from supporters of those who were not selected, potentially weakening the party’s campaign.

An ANC source with knowledge of the decision said that one of the main concerns was that local structures were not “sufficiently mature” to understand or manage the reasons behind the selection of particular candidates.

“The structures on the ground were not mature in terms of understanding the reasons or the move behind announcing a certain candidate.”

The decision follows two missed deadlines for the announcement of the ANC’s mayoral candidates. The party had initially committed to unveiling its candidates in August 2026. It subsequently pushed the announcement to September, with Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula indicating that the final selections would follow an assessment process.

Instead, the ANC presented lists of potential candidates, leaving the final choices unresolved as the election date approaches.

Campaigns at risk

The ANC’s head of elections, Mdumiseni Ntuli, has confirmed that the party will not announce its mayoral candidates before the elections, citing the limited time remaining and the potential impact of disappointment among unsuccessful contenders on campaigning.

“We took a decision not to reveal mayoral candidates everywhere in the country,” said Ntuli, adding that candidates had been interviewed and assessed by national officials before the party decided against announcing its selections.

When approached by Daily Maverick for comment, Ntuli referred questions to ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, saying she was responsible for the matter. The publication had not received a response from Bhengu-Motsiri by the time of publication.

Rather than fearing a major public fallout, the party’s primary concern is that disappointed supporters might withdraw their backing from the election effort. By keeping all mayoral finalists in contention for now, the ANC hopes to keep competing factions actively campaigning for the organisation as a whole, rather than for individual candidates.

Johannesburg’s mayoral race highlights the risk

Johannesburg is one of the key battlegrounds where the ANC faces this dilemma. The party shortlisted three potential mayoral candidates for the city: incumbent mayor Dada Morero, regional chairperson Loyiso Masuku and party veteran the Rev Frank Chikane.

Selecting either Morero or Masuku could create difficulties for the party if supporters who had rallied behind the unsuccessful candidate refused to campaign for the eventual nominee.

The potential consequences extend beyond the candidates themselves. If supporters and lobbyists withdraw their efforts, the party could struggle to maintain the mobilisation needed in the final stretch of the election campaign.

“This has been one of the major considerations behind the decision not to proceed with announcing the mayoral candidates before the elections,” said the ANC source.

Uncertainty extends beyond Johannesburg

The uncertainty over the ANC’s mayoral candidates is not confined to Johannesburg. The party’s centralised selection process covered all eight metropolitan municipalities, with dozens of contenders shortlisted as the ANC sought to identify candidates to lead its election campaigns.

In August, the ANC unveiled 42 potential candidates for the eight metros after considering nominations from the public, party branches and other structures. The final selections were expected to be made by the party’s national officials, following a process of screening, vetting and interviews.

The shortlists reflected the scale of the choices facing the party in other major cities.

In Tshwane, six candidates were shortlisted, including former regional chairperson Kgoši Maepa and Human Settlements MMC Aaron Maluleka, alongside Chana Pilane-Majake, Tlangi Mogale, Patience Moropa and Phumeza Mangcu.

In Ekurhuleni, four names were put forward, among them the incumbent mayor, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, and regional secretary, Jongizizwe Dlabathi.

In eThekwini, where the ANC faces a major challenge from the uMkhonto Wesizwe party, the shortlist included the incumbent mayor, Cyril Xaba, and former KZN premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube.

The party also shortlisted four candidates each in Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City, while eight names were included for Mangaung and Cape Town.

The selection process was intended to widen participation in choosing the party’s mayoral candidates. However, with no final candidates announced in any of the eight metros, the ANC is approaching election day without formally naming the individuals it wants to lead its campaigns in the country’s major cities.

ANC wins court battle over councillor candidates

The ANC’s mayoral candidate announcement delay follows a separate dispute over its councillor candidates.

On 15 October, the Constitutional Court ruled in the party’s favour in its challenge to the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC’s) decision to exclude 181 ANC councillor candidates across six municipalities. The ruling requires the IEC to include 51 ward candidates and 130 proportional representation candidates on the ballot papers.

The IEC said it had already put measures in place to comply with the court order. On Friday, the commission announced that it would extend similar relief to 32 other political parties in similar circumstances.

The decision has added pressure to the commission’s election preparations. The IEC said the total number of ballots required would rise to 33 million, of which 27 million had already been printed, leaving six million still to be produced. DM