Pretoria:The Electoral Commission has decided to provide relief to 32 political parties affected by a Constitutional Court ruling involving the African National Congress (ANC) and the submission of candidate lists for the 2026 Local Government Elections.

According to South African Government News Agency, the Constitutional Court's order necessitates the inclusion of 181 ANC candidates across six municipalities. The Commission, emphasizing fairness and parity of treatment, resolved to deem the candidate submissions of 32 similarly affected parties as lawful. These parties intended to contest in 121 municipalities and had completed necessary formalities like nominating candidates and paying deposits but had not submitted final lists.

The Commission's Chairperson, Mosotho Moepya, highlighted the importance of conducting free and fair elections and ensuring even-handed treatment of all electoral contestants. The Commission identified the 32 parties after conducting compliance checks, while 13 other parties did not meet submission requirements.

The Constitutional Court's decision impacts 107 municipalities, necessitating the production of 33 million ballots. While 27 million ballots were already printed, 6.6 million remained unprinted due to the pending court decision. The Commission will now contact the affected parties to confirm their participation intentions and allow them to comply with candidate nomination requirements.

Moepya assured that these developments would not delay the election date, though logistical preparations must be completed swiftly. The Commission remains committed to respecting court decisions and ensuring fair treatment of political parties in the electoral process.