Community leaders and ANC members in parts of the North West province have raised formal complaints and threatened legal action after saying community-backed candidates were removed or overlooked during the party's candidate selection process.
Disputes centre on Mamusa, JB Marks and Matlosana
The complaints span at least three municipalities: Mamusa (Schweizer-Reneke), JB Marks (Potchefstroom) and Matlosana (Klerksdorp). Church leaders and civil society groups in Mamusa are preparing a media briefing after alleging changes to ward candidate lists that they say ignore outcomes of community nomination meetings.
Members in Matlosana say the provincial structures did not implement a national ANC directive to reinstate candidates who won community nominations but were not endorsed. In JB Marks, a dispute over the proportional representation (PR) list has been formalised as a complaint that alleges procedural irregularities and improper interference.
Appeal, threatened litigation and calls for urgent intervention
One ward candidate, Gabriel Pakiso Mqikela of Ward 1, lodged an appeal with the ANC electoral committee chairperson, Kgalema Motlanthe, after finding his name allegedly removed following the selection process. In an 28 August letter cited by Sunday World, Mqikela demanded to know who authorised his removal and whether proper procedures were followed. He asked for reinstatement if no valid grounds existed.
“Considering the urgency of this matter and the approaching deadline, I kindly request your immediate intervention and response,” he wrote.
In Ward 7, a candidate identified as Lebogang Mabe disputes the outcome of a branch general meeting that declared Thandiwe Radasi the winner. Mabe claims he secured the majority in the community nomination but that the presiding officer did not endorse the result.
In JB Marks, Clifford Mandla Tawana lodged a complaint on 15 July alleging “material irregularities, improper interference and prima facie evidence of rigging” in the PR candidate process. The complaint says nomination documents were completed at a constituency office rather than at branch meetings and questions the authority exercised by a party official, named in the complaint as Sipho Mbipha.
What activists and members want
- Reinstatement of candidates who won community nominations if no valid grounds exist for removal.
- Transparency on who authorised list changes and the reasons for such interventions.
- Prompt response from the ANC electoral committee because of impending electoral deadlines.
Sources say the disputes point to deeper tensions between branch-level nominations and constituency or provincial oversight of final lists. Several complainants argue that local consultation processes have been sidelined in favour of political manoeuvring.
Potential local consequences
If unresolved, the disagreements could lead to litigation or further public protests, heightening factional tensions in a province where the ANC remains dominant in many municipalities. Legal challenges or late replacements on lists may also cause administrative complications ahead of candidate registration deadlines.
| Municipality | Main complaint | Notable names |
|---|---|---|
| Mamusa (Schweizer-Reneke) | Community-backed candidates allegedly removed; church and civil groups to brief media | — |
| Matlosana (Klerksdorp) | Alleged failure to reinstate community nominees per national directive | Gabriel Pakiso Mqikela |
| JB Marks (Potchefstroom) | Alleged irregularities in PR list; claims of documents completed outside branch meetings | Clifford Mandla Tawana; Sipho Mbipha |
ANC processes and the room for challenge
The complaints reference internal ANC rules and a national executive committee resolution that reportedly requires provincial structures to respect community nomination outcomes or to reinstate candidates who were not endorsed despite winning community support. Complainants are asking the provincial and national electoral structures to explain deviations if any.
Where members believe internal remedies are exhausted, South African law allows parties and litigants to approach the courts to review internal organisational decisions on procedural fairness. Several activists in the province have already signalled readiness to pursue legal action if their grievances are not addressed.
What happens next
Those aggrieved have asked the ANC electoral committee for urgent intervention. The party's provincial structures have not publicly responded to the individual complaints as yet. With candidate registration deadlines approaching, the window for resolving disputes is narrowing and will determine whether matters are settled internally or wind up in court.
The emerging rifts highlight the ongoing challenge within dominant parties to balance grassroots nomination processes with central party oversight, especially where local leaders and communities believe their choices are being overridden.
Reporting from Klerksdorp.
