Mbalula calls for DA’s role in GNU to be reviewed after ANC court victory

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has called for a review of the DA’s role in the Government of National Unity (GNU) after the ANC won its Constitutional Court battle over 181 candidates seeking to contest the November 4 local government elections.

Speaking outside the Constitutional Court on Thursday, Mbalula said the ANC would need to discuss the DA’s position in the coalition government, questioning whether the party’s legal arguments aligned with the GNU’s commitment to upholding the country’s constitutional framework.

“The ANC must review the DA in the Government of National Unity,” Mbalula said.

The dispute centred on the eligibility of 181 ANC candidates to contest the upcoming elections after they were affected by the candidate-submission process.

During the court proceedings, the DA’s legal representative, Advocate Michael Bishop, argued that the ANC had not validly submitted its candidate lists because it had failed to click the “Submit as Final” button on the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) system.

Bishop warned that ruling in the ANC’s favour could create significant administrative difficulties, arguing that dozens of other political parties and more than 2 000 candidates were in the same position.

He further argued that the IEC would be constitutionally required to treat all affected parties equally, potentially complicating ballot preparations and the holding of free and fair elections.

Mbalula, however, said the ANC had chosen to pursue the matter through the courts rather than mobilise supporters to protest, arguing that the right to vote was a fundamental constitutional right.

“We did not go into the street. We did not call a single person into the street. When this movement believed that a right had been taken from our people, we walked up this hill with papers in our hands,” he said.

He added that the outcome demonstrated the importance of using the country’s democratic institutions to resolve disputes.

“The right to vote is not a privilege handed down by an institution. It is not a setting in a computer program, and it is not a button on the screen. It is a fundamental right, and it belongs to the people,” Mbalula said.

Mbalula criticised the DA’s position in the court proceedings, saying the party had argued against allowing hundreds of thousands of South Africans to receive ballot papers reflecting their preferred party.

He acknowledged the DA’s right to present its arguments but said the ANC would need to consider the implications for the GNU partnership.

The ANC secretary-general also thanked party leaders, alliance partners and structures that supported the legal challenge, saying the movement had remained committed to resolving the dispute through lawful means.

However, he acknowledged internal tensions within the ANC, claiming that the matter had been used to fuel factional divisions. He also said he had felt personally targeted by some colleagues despite carrying out the responsibilities entrusted to him by the party.

Mbalula urged ANC members to respect the party’s leadership and avoid using internal disagreements to deepen divisions.

Looking ahead to the November 4 elections, he called on party structures to focus on campaigning and securing support from voters.

“We will see you at the ballot box on the fourth of November, where the question of who governs is settled and where it has always been settled,” he said.