The Electoral Commission has extended candidate-list relief to 32 additional political parties following the Constitutional Court ruling involving the ANC.

The IEC says 32 other political parties will receive similar treatment to the ANC after the Constitutional Court ordered the inclusion of 181 ANC candidates across six municipalities.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya announced the decision on Friday, saying fairness required consistent treatment of parties in comparable circumstances, according to SAnews.

Who qualifies?

The 32 parties had nominated compliant candidates and paid their election deposits, but had not submitted their final candidate lists.

The relief does not cover every party that missed requirements. A further 13 parties failed compliance checks, with problems including unpaid deposits and candidates not registered to vote in the municipalities they wanted to contest.

What happens next?

The IEC will contact the qualifying parties to confirm whether they still intend to participate in the 4 November local government elections. Those proceeding will complete the necessary nomination steps through an accelerated process.

For voters, the decision could widen the choice on affected ballots. For the commission, it adds work to an already tight election timetable.

Also read: IEC ordered to restore 181 ANC candidates after Constitutional Court ruling.

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