The ANC in KwaZulu‑Natal has acknowledged technical problems with its candidate-list submission that resulted in a small number of ward candidates being recorded against incorrect wards ahead of the local government elections on 4 November.
At a media briefing, provincial task team co‑ordinator James Nxumalo said the errors occurred during the capturing and loading of lists and affected candidates in eThekwini and Ray Nkonyeni. He emphasised the issues were technical and did not reflect failures in branch or community selection processes.
“The Provincial Task Team has directed that the necessary corrections be effected without delay to ensure our final electoral records accurately reflect the will of our branches.”
Scope of the party’s nominations
The ANC said it had completed candidate selection across all 921 wards in KwaZulu‑Natal and had submitted its final lists to the Electoral Commission of South Africa within the prescribed deadline. In total the party will contest the province with 2,001 candidates: 921 ward candidates and 1,080 proportional representation candidates.
Provincial structures reported that selection processes were carried out through 11 regions and 54 municipalities, with outcomes consolidated by regional structures and the Provincial List Committee before dispute resolution and vetting.
Which wards were affected
The party identified two types of errors in the affected municipalities: swapped candidate entries between wards, and a single candidate being reflected in multiple wards.
- In eThekwini the lists showed candidates for Wards 65 and 90 swapped during the list‑loading process, and a similar swap between Wards 6 and 91.
- In Ray Nkonyeni a candidate who had been correctly submitted for Ward 36 was incorrectly reflected as standing in Wards 3 and 16 as well.
The ANC said the party’s original provincial submissions had been verified and that the candidates should be restored to their intended wards; it has requested the necessary corrections.
| Municipality | Affected wards | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| eThekwini | Wards 65 & 90; Wards 6 & 91 | Swapped candidates during list loading |
| Ray Nkonyeni | Ward 36; incorrectly shown in Wards 3 & 16 | Single candidate reflected in multiple wards |
What this means for voters and the election roll
Practically, the ANC says the capturing errors will be corrected so the final electoral records mirror the branch nominations. The party reiterated that its lists were finalised and lodged with the Electoral Commission within deadline, while the technical issues arose during the internal list‑loading process.
For affected candidates and voters the immediate priority is to ensure that ballot papers and the electoral roll reflect corrected information. The ANC’s prompt request for amendments signals the party expects the Electoral Commission to accept corrections provided they are lodged within the commission’s administrative cut‑offs.
Background and context
KwaZulu‑Natal has 921 wards that will be contested in the municipal elections, a scale that requires detailed administrative coordination between branches, regional structures and the provincial office. Errors in data capturing are not uncommon when large volumes of names and ward allocations are being processed, but they take on heightened importance in an election year because incorrect entries can confuse voters and complicate ballot production.
The ANC said it had followed its internal dispute resolution and vetting procedures. It did not, however, provide a detailed timeline for when the corrections would appear on public documents such as ballot candidate lists or on the Electoral Commission’s official records.
As the province prepares for polling, political parties, election administrators and candidates will be keeping a close watch to ensure administrative errors are resolved swiftly so that voters in eThekwini, Ray Nkonyeni and across KZN can cast their ballots with confidence.
Local voters who believe their ward candidate details are incorrect should consult the IEC’s published candidate lists or contact ward offices for confirmation ahead of the elections.
