By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The ANC has withdrawn its application to the electoral court, in which it requested an extension to the deadline to submit its candidates list for the local government elections, the party’s lawyers confirmed.
Attorney Ntanga Nkhulu said they were given instructions to withdraw the application, but would not comment on why the decision was taken.
Among the many reasons the ANC had cited, it blamed its own financial woes for failing to meet the IEC’s deadline.
The ANC filed its application to the electoral court on Monday night.
It is not clear when the Constitutional Court will deliver its judgement, but the IEC’s lawyers indicated that they prefer for judgement to be delivered by the end of August to enable them to meet an already tight schedule if needed.
ANC blamed the mayhem caused by Covid-19 restrictions, a freezing computer system, bad internet connections and low staff morale due to the non-payment of salaries as reasons why the party failed to register candidates in 94 municipalities by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) deadline of 9pm last Monday, 23 August.
Meanwhile the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday conceded that it could lose power in several municipalities in the province should the Electoral Court rule against the party’s application seeking the reopening of the councillor candidate registration process.
Briefing the media on Tuesday following the ANC special provincial executive committee (PEC) meeting on Monday, the party’s provincial secretary, Mdumiseni Ntuli, said the ANC in the province had not been able to register candidates in several municipalities.
The ANC did not secure the registration of all PR candidates in Edumbe, Phongolo, Abaqulusi, Ulundi and Nongoma local municipalities.
Ntuli said the ANC would lose power in several municipalities in the province should the Electoral Court rule against the party.
“The PEC is deeply concerned that this situation might not only and merely replace the ANC as the governing party in some of these municipalities but will undermine the advancement of the National Democratic Revolution, “he said.