Relief swiftly kicked in for African National Congress (ANC) Secretary-General (SG), Fikile Mbalula, as he broke down in tears after the Constitutional Court ruled in the party's favour in its appeal against an earlier Electoral Court ruling.
The ruling confirmed Journal News Network’s earlier report on 12 October 2026 that the ANC was indeed set for a vital victory at the Constitutional Court, with the apex court yesterday finding that barring the party’s candidates from participating in the upcoming local government election would disenfranchise the voters.
The victory averted an impending political crisis for the ruling party while buffering Mbalula’s political career within the movement, where detractors both inside and outside the movement had been actively hoping for an adverse finding that would severely impair his standing.
Handing down the majority judgment on behalf of the bench, Justice Rammaka Mathopo set aside the decision of the Electoral Commission regarding candidate submissions for the upcoming municipal elections.
“The first respondent, which is the Electoral Commission, is directed to do all things necessary to include the party lists and ward candidate nominations mentioned in paragraph four of this order in the lists and nominations onto the ballot papers and all other relevant processes for the purposes of the 4th of November 2026 elections,” he said.
In an emotional address following the judgment, Mbalula expressed deep gratitude to ANC President, Cyril Ramaphosa, affiliated structures, and opposition leaders who supported their legal challenge.
“I thank the president of the ANC for his leadership through a hard month and for insisting at every turn that this movement takes the lawful road and no other.”
Mbalula also extended appreciation to the ANC Women’s League, the Youth League, trade union formations, and, surprisingly, Afrika Mayibuye leader Floyd Shivambu for providing crucial support during the litigation.
Despite collapsing shortly after addressing media representatives as sheer exhaustion took its toll, Mbalula's leadership stature has ultimately been bolstered.
