Johannesburg, April 20 South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has begun preparations for the 2026 local government elections, even as its long-time ally, the South African Communist Party (SACP), has decided to contest the polls independently.
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula made the remarks on Monday in Johannesburg while briefing the media on the party’s local government action plan and broader electoral strategy going forward.
He said the SACP had taken a decision to contest the elections without its coalition partners, a move that could have significant political implications, reported Xinhua.
“We have started preparing, we have started the selection of mayors and councillors. We want to choose the best candidates,” Mbalula said, adding that candidates would be assessed through a detailed process of vetting and interviews conducted by the party’s top leadership.
Mbalula said he would, next week, write to members who hold dual membership in both the ANC and the SACP, giving them 10 days to indicate clearly under which party they intend to stand in the elections.
“The SACP is not expelled from the ANC, dual membership will remain, but there will be no dual contesting of elections. No members will contest for both the ANC and the SACP,” he said.
Mbalula further said that the ANC will officially launch its local government election campaign in July 2026, marking the formal start of its outreach efforts.
In August 2025, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced that South Africa’s local government elections will be held between November 2, 2026, and the end of January 2027.
IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said that 34 new political parties have been registered since the 2024 general election, including 13 since July, bringing the total number of registered parties to 472.
Of these, 287 are registered nationally, while 185 are registered at provincial, district, or municipal levels, he said in August 2025.
He also urged citizens to participate in ongoing public discussions on the feasibility and future of electronic voting, while stressing that physical ballot papers will continue to be used in the upcoming municipal elections.
He added that this is due to the absence of a national policy and a clear legal framework for the implementation of e-voting in the country at present.
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