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South Africa's 3% inflation goal is robust, Central Bank study shows

South Africa's 3% inflation target can withstand a range of economic shocks as expectations have become better anchored and more forward-looking, the central bank said in a new study.

In the absence of major shocks, there's a 78% chance that inflation will remain between the central bank's 2% and 4% tolerance band, authors Theo Janse van Rensburg, Jeffrey Rakgalakane and Rudi Steinbach said in an economic note published late Tuesday.

South Africa formally lowered its inflation target to 3% in November with a 1 percentage point tolerance band, replacing the 3% to 6% range that had been in place for 25 years. The central bank had aimed for the band's 4.5% midpoint since 2017.

Since the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28, the nation has faced mounting price pressures. Restrictions on traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global supply route, has pushed up oil and fertiliser costs, raising inflation to 4.5% from 3% before the war started.

The central bank responded by raising interest rates by 25 basis points in May to 7%, before pausing in July after revising its inflation forecasts lower and to support economic growth.

Governor Lesetja Kganyago last week said there is room for officials to continue to adopt a measured approach to interest rates in the face of a polyshock.

The study backs up this assessment. A typical shock to key inflation drivers such as food, oil, electricity prices, the rand and expectations, would cause it to deviate by less than 1 percentage point from the 3% goal over a year, the authors wrote.

Of the key drivers, oil poses the biggest inflation risk.

The study found that an almost 40% oil-price shock lasting three quarters would add an average 0.87 percentage point to inflation in the first year, with the impact peaking at just over 1 percentage point.

Yet inflation expectations would rise by only 0.15 percentage point, it found.

Even when several shocks occur together, the authors estimate there is a 62% chance that inflation will vary between 2% and 4%.

To lift inflation by more than a percentage point for a full year, a shock that would not be considered temporary, the rand would need to depreciate by about 14%, while oil prices would need to rise by around 46%, the study found. Food prices would need to increase by 4.8%, unit labour costs by 5.1% and electricity by 17.1%, and other administrative prices by 9.4%.

The study attributes the outcomes to inflation expectations being more forward-looking, particularly since the South African Reserve Bank adopted its preferred goal of 4.5% in mid-2017. "These results reflect increased monetary policy credibility, which bodes well for the achievement of a 3% inflation target," it found.

"It is important to note that when lower inflation is accompanied by reduced volatility – as has been the case historically – the responses to shocks are likely to be more muted," the authors said.

Govt launches massive crackdown on illegal immigration, hijacked buildings

Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi has announced a sweeping, multidisciplinary national strategy to reclaim thousands of hijacked buildings across South Africa's major metropolitan areas and drastically tighten the country's immigration and border controls.

Speaking on Tuesday, Kubayi revealed, as head of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on migration management, that between April and July 2026, border authorities intercepted more than 4 200 undocumented foreign nationals trying to cross into South Africa outside formal ports of entry, primarily along the northern corridor bordering Zimbabwe, followed by Lesotho and Mozambique.

The crackdown has triggered a massive spike in expulsions.

Between June 14 and August 20, a staggering 86 596 foreign nationals were processed for deportation and repatriation.

Statistics show that 90% of these individuals entered the country illegally, with 95% classified as border jumpers.

Citizens of Malawi formed the largest demographic of deportees, followed closely by Zimbabwean and Mozambican nationals.

To manage localised humanitarian bottlenecks, government is monitoring the ongoing situation in Che Guevara road, in Durban. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is currently assisting the group there with voluntary community reintegration, while compiling information for those wishing to relocate to the Lindela Holding Facility as a temporary alternative.

Government's multidisciplinary offensive has also targeted local businesses. Law enforcement has conducted over 350 000 industrial inspections across Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, exposing widespread labour and health violations, specifically the deliberate hiring of undocumented workers.

To sustain this pressure, government has initiated a massive enforcement expansion, finalising the deployment of 6 317 labour inspectors, which includes 4 017 newly recruited interns and 2 300 experienced inspectors reassigned to joint blitz operations.

Furthermore, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has advertised 301 Immigration Inspector posts, with recruitment wrapping up by the end of September.

So far, police have registered 205 building-related criminal cases, resulting in 354 arrests and 123 cases already placed on the court roll.

Looking forward, Kubayi emphasised that the DHA is actively drafting a brand-new legal framework to overhaul citizenship and immigration systems.

Backed by technological upgrades like the newly launched Electronic Travel Authorisation initiative, the reforms aim to eradicate fraud, secure the borders, and transition South Africa into a modern, lawful migration system.

ILLEGAL OCCUPATION

Kubayi also announced that the IMC has finalised a consolidated blueprint to address the "menacing challenge" of bad and illegally occupied structures, which have rapidly turned into inner-city havens for dangerous crime syndicates, human trafficking and drug distribution networks.

A comprehensive IMC report drawing on data from the eight metropolitan municipalities, Johannesburg, Tshwane, eThekwini, Ekurhuleni, Nelson Mandela Bay, Mangaung, Buffalo City, and Cape Town, has identified about 2 400 non-compliant buildings.

While the report confirmed that metros already possess the requisite by-laws and enforcement structures to act, a severe legal and financial bottleneck has paralysed executions.

Under Constitutional Court rulings, municipalities cannot lawfully evict illegal occupants without providing funded temporary emergency accommodation, a resource most metros lack.

During an IMC meeting with metro mayors last Wednesday, mayors raised alarms over bleeding municipal revenues owing to unpaid rates, alongside dangerous, unauthorised water and energy consumption.

To counter inner-city decay and stop syndicates, some of which are reportedly orchestrating operations from inside prisons, mayor...

Manufacturing, mining weigh on second-quarter economic growth; GDP contracts by 0.2% q/q

South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) contracted by 0.2% quarter-on-quarter for the second quarter, following growth of 0.4% in the first quarter of the year, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reports.

The manufacturing industry contracted by 1.8%, contributing -0.2 of a percentage point, to the overall GDP figure. Seven of the ten manufacturing divisions reported negative growth rates. The largest negative contributions were reported for the food and beverages; furniture and 'other' manufacturing; and basic iron and steel, nonferrous metal products, metal products and machinery divisions.

Stats SA's data shows that the mining and quarrying industry also contracted by 3%, contributing -0.1 of a percentage point to the overall figure. The largest negative contributors were platinum group metals (PGMs), manganese ore, gold and iron-ore.

Further, the trade, catering and accommodation industry decreased by 1.9%, contributing -0,2 of a percentage point. Stats SA notes that decreased economic activities were reported for wholesale trade, motor trade and food and beverages.

North-West University Business School economist Professor Raymond Parsons says the contraction in second-quarter GDP was expected and confirms the "bad knock" the South African economy took – together with many other economies – as a result of the global energy shock in recent months.

"After opening the year on a positive note with 0.4% GDP growth in the first quarter, the setback in South Africa's subsequent growth performance reflects the strong pressure it faced in recent months from severe global headwinds on the twin growth and inflation fronts.

"The prospect at the beginning of 2026 that the economy would immediately build on the incipient recovery seen in the second half of 2025 has unfortunately not been realised.

"In the latest GDP figures, while finance, business services and transport still appear to be 'leading' sectors, mining and manufacturing are for now the 'lagging' ones in the growth outlook. Gross fixed capital formation, which is necessary for sustained job-rich growth, has also disappointed," he comments.

Parsons notes, however, that while high-frequency economic data in the third quarter have been mixed, there is evidence that the recovery of the South African economy has been interrupted and delayed rather than "definitively derailed".

"Household spending appears stable. A plausible central forecast is now about 1.2% real GDP growth in 2026, but that is lower than the broad consensus of about 1.6% growth anticipated earlier in the year."

He adds that better growth prospects remain vulnerable to renewed Middle East escalation, weak fixed investment, borrowing costs and policy uncertainty.

"Domestic policy must, therefore, still act to mobilise available tailwinds and reinforce a resumed economic momentum. Changed economic circumstances this year now also have important implications for the South African Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee meeting on September 23, as well as the key policy choices in the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement due on October 21," Parsons points out. OTHER STATISTICS Meanwhile, Stats SA reports that the finance, real estate and business services industry increased by 0.3%, contributing 0.1 of a percentage point, with the main contributors having been financial intermediation, insurance and pension funding, and other business services. The transport, storage and communication industry grew by 0.9%, contributing 0.1 of a percentage point, with increased economic activity reported for land transport.

General government services increased by 1%, contributing 0.1 of a percentage point. This was mainly due to an increase in compensation of employees in extra-budgetary and higher education institutions and provincial government, Stats SA points out.

The personal services industry increased by 0.6%, contributing 0.1 of a...

Mbalula extols ANC internal nominations process as party challenges IEC in court over 'administrative setback'

The ANC has launched an urgent application in the Electoral Court following the Independent Electoral Commission's (IEC's) rejection of the party's 181 candidate nominations across six municipalities.

Announcing the legal challenge, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula emphasised that despite the "administrative setback", the party is fielding over 9 000 candidates across all nine provinces.

Mbalula revealed that the ANC successfully lodged 9 128 candidates for the upcoming November 4 election. Of these, 4 366 are registered on the ward ballots and 4 581 on the proportional representation (PR) ballots.

This represents 97% of all available ward seats and 90% of all PR seats across the country.

"No other party in this country will come to you with that figure," Mbalula said, framing the scale of the party's registration drive against the localised omissions.

"I give it to you first because it is the frame in which everything else must be read."

The dispute centres on 181 candidates, comprising 130 on the PR ballot and 51 on the ward ballot, whose electronic submissions did not complete the final step on the IEC's system before the August 28 17:00 deadline.

The affected areas are limited to six of the country's 257 councils: Ngquza Hill, Port St Johns, Walter Sisulu, and Sundays River Valley in the Eastern Cape; uMshwathi in KwaZulu-Natal; and the Mangaung metropolitan municipality in the Free State.

Mbalula has clarified reports suggesting the party had completely disappeared from those ballots.

In Mangaung, uMshwathi, Walter Sisulu, and Sundays River Valley, the ANC's full slate of ward candidates remains fully registered.

Only Ngquza Hill and Port St Johns face disruptions to both the ward and PR ballots, he explained.

Defending the party's submission process, Mbalula explained that candidate loading began on July 13, following an extensive internal selection process overseen by Kgalema Motlanthe's electoral committee.

However, in the final hour of August 28, operators handling the affected lists were abruptly logged out of the IEC's electronic platform and redirected to the landing page, cutting off final confirmations.

The ANC claims the data was already captured within the system prior to the 17:00 deadline, pointing out that the IEC printed reports for those councils on September 3 using that specific data.

"Let me repeat there is not a single name the ANC wishes to enter into the Commission's system anew. All the names are inside the system as we speak. Whether that is submission in law is the question the Court will decide," Mbalula stated.

The IEC officially refused the ANC's request to process the stored information on September 4, prompting the party to approach the Electoral Court in Bloemfontein under Section 20 of the Electoral Commission Act.

The application seeks to overturn the IEC's decision and direct the commission to recognise the submissions as valid.

Mbalula noted that its legal battle carries implications for the broader political landscape.

According to IEC records, 2 274 candidates from 45 different political parties experienced identical electronic submission failures.

Mbalula highlighted that out of 299 parties using the electronic route, 45 could not complete the process, whereas none of the 224 parties lodging by hand reported similar difficulties.

Despite the litigation, Mbalula says the party maintains confidence in the electoral body.

"The Electoral Commission is an exemplary institution by any global standard," he said. "There is no question about its integrity, or about its standing as a guardian of our democracy."

Businesses not yet feeling the effect of reforms, as confidence drops – BLSA

Businesses are unfortunately not yet feeling the impact of structural reforms on the ground, with felt progress important in the move toward a new operating environment in which electricity is priced through competitive markets and logistics services can be accessed through multiple operators, says business organisation Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busisiwe Mavuso.

"Only when we have fully functioning and competitive markets for electricity and logistics services will business sentiment respond; when companies start to see their input costs falling and service reliability improving, they start to build confidence.

"This is still a way to go to turn reform into a real improvement in the operating environment," she says.

The Rand Merchant Bank/Bureau for Economic Research Business Confidence Index, released on September 2, fell one point to 38 in the third quarter, from the second quarter, which indicates generally negative sentiment, with 62% of respondents dissatisfied with prevailing business conditions.

This is down significantly from the reading of 47 in the first quarter.

There are plenty of signs that reform is moving forward, but business confidence is far behind, says Mavuso.

National Treasury, through the Development Bank of Southern Africa, has issued a request for proposals (RFPs) for advisers on the unbundling of State-owned utility Eskom's transmission assets into an independent transmission system operator, which is a significant step.

The transaction is complex, and will require the approval of Eskom's lenders, but such restructurings have been successfully concluded in many countries, and there is substantial international experience to draw on, Mavuso points out.

The timetable set out in the RFP is ambitious, with the transaction set to be concluded in the next 18 months.

While the plan has faced resistance in some quarters, BLSA and Eskom fully support the electricity reform programme and the process toward unbundling can now accelerate, says Mavuso.

Eskom's lenders are willing to engage to find workable solutions. Treasury's advisers will have an important role to play in aligning those role players and designing a transaction that works for everyone. BLSA will play its part in supporting all role-players to achieve that outcome. It is critical to establishing the foundations of growth in South Africa's economy.

Further, an update on progress with the rail network statement was provided by the Department of Transport (DoT). The network statement is a crucial document that sets out how private operators can access the national rail network.

It is important for the logistics reform process and has the potential to unlock billions of new investment in rolling stock and rail infrastructure. The DoT will publish the final statement at the end of September.

This is behind schedule, but better a high-quality network statement that works than meeting a deadline with something that does not work, Mavuso says.

"Logistics and electricity are growth enablers. They are the preconditions for the investment that will drive growth toward our more than 3% target and the job creation that would follow."

TRADE ADVANCES

On the trade front, an agreement was signed between the India Commonwealth Trade Council and the India South Africa Chamber of Commerce. Improved trade relations are important for the business outlook, says Mavuso.

South Africa does not have a coherent trade strategy. India is an example of a much more coherent strategy, and has 14 signed free trade agreements, compared with the seven agreements and customs union arrangements South Africa has, she says.

India also has six preferential trade agreements when South Africa has one.

"We have had lengthy stop-start engagements with India on trade opportunities, and perhaps this agreement will support progress toward a mutually beneficial outcome."

Further, the two-year extens...

Court shuts down UDF's bid to get IEC to extend candidate nomination deadline

The Electoral Court has handed down a decisive judgment dismissing an urgent application by the newly registered United Democratic Front (UDF), which sought permission to participate in the upcoming local government elections despite missing the critical candidate nomination deadline.

The applicant, which was officially registered by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on August 24, failed to comply with the August 28 deadline to submit its ward candidate nominations.

Under the 2026 local government election timetable published on August 7, all political parties and independent candidates intending to contest wards were required to submit their nominations by 17h00 on that date.

After the IEC denied a request for an extension, the party approached the Electoral Court on an urgent basis.

During the proceedings, the UDF proposed an alternative relief package. It sought permission to nominate "placeholder" candidates in selected wards, intending to substitute them with permanent candidates before the next relevant deadline in the timetable.

The party argued that because its registration was finalised only four days before the nomination deadline, it lacked sufficient time to properly identify, recruit and secure consent from suitable ward candidates.

It contended that the IEC should have used its powers under Section 11(2)(a) of the local government: Municipal Electoral Act 27 of 2000 to amend the election timetable in the interest of ensuring a free and fair election.

However, the Electoral Court rejected these arguments in their entirety.

The court clarified that while Section 11(2)(a) allows the IEC to amend the election timetable via the Government Gazette if deemed necessary for a free and fair election, it does not grant the Commission the authority to exempt an individual political party from a deadline that remains legally binding on all other participants.

Furthermore, the court noted that under Sections 11(3) and 17 of the Municipal Electoral Act, all acts relating to ward nominations must be completed by the exact date and time stipulated in the official timetable. Consequently, the Commission possesses no statutory power to condone late ward nominations.

The judgment emphasised that strict adherence to electoral timetables is fundamental to protecting the integrity of the democratic process.

It stressed that uniform deadlines promote equity among political parties and independent candidates, enable the IEC to administer elections efficiently and impartially, and ensure that the public perceives the elections as genuinely free and fair.

Allowing an individual party to bypass these deadlines would prejudice compliant participants and compromise the Commission's neutrality, it argued.

The court similarly dismissed the "placeholder" candidate proposal. It ruled that the mechanism would effectively permit new ward nominations after the prescribed deadline, which violates the strict and limited substitution frameworks permitted under the Municipal Electoral Act.

The court also highlighted a further legal hurdle under Section 69(1) of the Act, noting that the proposal involved nominating individuals in wards that the party, by its own admission, did not genuinely intend to contest.

Ultimately, the Electoral Court found that the applicant's predicament was largely self-created.

The party delayed lodging its registration application and failed to conduct necessary preparations for candidate nominations while its registration was pending.

The court noted that nothing prevented the organisation from identifying target wards, recruiting prospective candidates, and preparing the required documentation ahead of its official registration.

The court concluded that the IEC acted lawfully, rationally, and reasonably in refusing the extension, adding that the commission was correct in assessing that a timetable amendment was unnecessary.

This ruling ...

Ramaphosa says Madlanga commission must be free from interference, defends SAPS

President Cyril Ramaphosa has asserted that the ongoing Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality and Political Interference within South Africa's Criminal Justice System must proceed thoroughly and entirely without interference.

Writing in his weekly newsletter on Monday, the President addressed the "deeply disturbing" allegations of criminal infiltration and corruption within the nation's law enforcement apparatus.

He emphasised that South Africans deserve "absolute clarity", stating that citizens are entitled to know that those tasked with fighting crime are not actively collaborating with criminals.

While acknowledging the severity of the allegations being handled by the commission, headed by Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, Ramaphosa defended the vast majority of the South African Police Service (SAPS).

He noted that the SAPS consists of more than 180 000 members and 3 000 reservists who serve their communities under dangerous and difficult circumstances daily.

"For every incompetent or corrupt SAPS member, there are many thousands more who are not," Ramaphosa stated, arguing that the actions of a corrupt minority should not diminish the honourable service of the majority. However, he maintained that the government owes it to these honest officers to aggressively root out those who "dishonour the badge."

The President addressed the severe trust deficit between the public and law enforcement.

Citing the 2025/2026 governance, public safety and justice survey published by Statistics South Africa, he noted a troubling trend: many crime victims choose not to report incidents because they believe the police will simply not take action.

Ramaphosa warned that this sentiment cannot be dismissed as mere perception.

He said effective policing relies heavily on communities reporting crimes, identifying suspects, and acting as witnesses, so rebuilding this broken trust is paramount.

"Confidence cannot be demanded. It must be earned," Ramaphosa wrote. He outlined that trust is built on fundamental operational reliability, answering phone calls, arriving promptly at crime scenes, investigating properly, treating victims with dignity, and ultimately securing convictions.

To address systemic vulnerabilities and resource gaps, Ramaphosa highlighted that through SAPS' Project 11 000, the police force is actively increasing its numbers, with a new intake of 5 500 constables scheduled to enter training academies shortly.

He said the SAPS is moving beyond basic technical expertise, the recruitment process now mandates psychometric and integrity testing during the very first phase of selection, well before prospective recruits advance to physical fitness, medical, or vetting stages.

He explained that future recruitment, promotions, and senior appointments will be strictly anchored on merit, competence, and integrity, completely barring political interference or criminal elements.

Ramaphosa emphasised that while the government bears the primary duty of ensuring public safety, defeating crime requires a collaborative national effort.

He urged citizens to help police officers by joining community policing forums, volunteering as reservists, and consistently reporting criminal activity.

Ramaphosa authorises SIU corruption probe into E Cape Public Works

President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially authorised the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to probe allegations of corruption and maladministration at the Eastern Cape Department of Public Works and Infrastructure.

By signing Proclamation 344 of 2026, the President has cleared the way for the Unit to investigate a series of highly sensitive infrastructure contracts and security tenders.

The investigation will cover the period from January 01, 2021 up to the publication of the proclamation on September 09, 2026.

Investigators will examine the procurement, contracting and payment processes for Phase 1 of the ten kilometre road construction connecting the N2 to Sipetu Hospital; the urgent re-gravelling of roads DR18033 and DR08288; the emergency gravelling operations on road DR08076 within the Elundini local municipality; the emergency preparation of the road, platform and parking facilities for the funeral of former Gauteng Economic Development MEC Nkosiphendule Kolisile; and the multimillion-rand appointment of service providers to secure head office clusters over a 36-month period.

The core focus of the SIU probe is to determine whether these multimillion-rand contracts violated constitutional procurement principles.

Investigators will check if the processes were "unfair, non-competitive, non-transparent, or not cost-effective", and if the contracts went against National and Provincial Treasury guidelines, as well as the department's internal policies.

Furthermore, the SIU will investigate whether department officials, private contractors, or third-party entities manipulated the system to corruptly or unduly benefit themselves.

Operating under the Special Investigating Units and Special Tribunals Act of 1996 (Act No. 74 of 1996), the SIU has substantial teeth to enforce accountability.

Beyond identifying fraud and irregular expenditure, the unit is empowered to initiate civil proceedings in its own name.

Any wrongdoing uncovered during the probe can immediately be taken before the Special Tribunal or the High Court. This allows the SIU to freeze assets, nullify unlawful contracts, and swiftly recover stolen or mismanaged State funds.

Hill-Lewis urges Ramaphosa to intervene in DBE textbook catalogue

DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has issued an urgent appeal to President Cyril Ramaphosa to step in following an unprecedented showdown within the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

The dispute centres on a "green light" given by the department's director-general for a controversial new Foundation Phase textbook catalogue, completely bypassing an order from Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube to halt the process.

Gwarube recently suspended the implementation of the new Grade 1 to 3 national textbook catalogue intended for the 2027 school year, following an independent investigation that allegedly exposed severe governance weaknesses, procurement risks and institutional flaws in how the curriculum materials were being sourced.

Despite the Minister's directive to pause and clean up the process, the director-general indicated that the department would forge ahead with the catalogue anyway.

Hill-Lewis backed the Minister, calling on Ramaphosa to either intervene directly or equip Gwarube with the executive authority necessary to hold her department's director-general accountable, including the power of suspension if required.

"What cannot be tolerated is a situation in which a director-general simply carries on regardless after serious problems have been uncovered and the responsible Minister has acted to address them," Hill-Lewis stated.

"A Minister cannot be expected to answer to Parliament and the public for a department while being denied the authority required to manage it."

He praised Gwarube's intervention as a "text-book example" of what South Africans expect from responsible leadership: protecting public funds, confronting corruption risks and ensuring millions of learners receive uncompromised learning materials by the time schools open in 2027.

Hill-Lewis warned that the stand-off is a dangerous indicator of structural flaws within the Government of National Unity (GNU) framework, stating that the dispute goes far beyond a single textbook catalogue.

"It goes to the heart of accountable government. Public servants are there to implement lawful government decisions, uphold the highest standards of administration, and serve the public interest. They cannot be permitted to frustrate a Minister who is trying to clean up a compromised process and protect taxpayers and learners," he said.

He emphasised that the GNU cannot effectively function if Ministers are saddled with political responsibility but denied the real executive authority to manage "stubborn or defiant officials".

As the head of the national executive, Ramaphosa holds the ultimate power to resolve the administrative deadlock, and Hill-Lewis wants the President to act quickly to prevent that he says could be a precedent where unelected officials can undermine the political heads of departments with impunity.

"South Africans are tired of corruption, weak accountability, and officials who appear untouchable. They want leaders who confront problems, fix them, and protect the public interest. Minister Gwarube is trying to do exactly that. Ramaphosa must resolve this without delay," the DA leader said.

Ramaphosa believes ANC candidate system glitches are 'containable'

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed confidence that the party's election candidate nomination registration issues will be resolved, describing the issue as "containable and manageable."

Speaking during a campaign trail event in Ekurhuleni on Friday, Ramaphosa minimised the impact of what the party says are Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) system failures, noting that the issue was confined to only a few municipalities.

"So, I think it's containable and it's manageable and there should be a solution that can be found," Ramaphosa said, acknowledging that while the party had to manage over 10 000 candidates, the alleged interface glitches with the IEC system only affected a small number.

The dispute followed the closure of the IEC's Online Candidate Nomination System (OCNS) last Friday at 17:00. Earlier in the week, IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya stated that candidates who failed to finalise and officially submit their applications before the cutoff are technically out of the running.

However, Moepya emphasised that the commission is actively reviewing all submissions to ensure compliance with legislative frameworks.

He clarified that the candidate list was complete for the entire country and had been submitted, but errors occurred during the final transmission stage.

Crucially, Ramaphosa claimed that these system failures did not only affect the ANC but that it had also impacted 34 other political parties.

He argued that a technical glitch should not ultimately "deprive citizens" of their democratic right to vote for their chosen candidates, expressing certainty that a solution would be reached through cooperation between the Political Party Liaison Committee, the IEC, and the affected political parties.

The ANC has clarified that it is not asking the IEC for a late extension or condonation.

Instead, the party formally requested on Thursday that the IEC recognise and process candidate details that were successfully uploaded and stored on the system prior to the deadline, but were blocked from final confirmation due to the technical failures.

ANC National Spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu stated that provincial secretaries and list committees had successfully uploaded 100% of the branch and regionally nominated candidates onto the OCNS before the 17:00 cutoff on August 28.

"This was a collective undertaking of the whole movement, from the branch to the National Executive Committee, and it was carried out," Bhengu said.

She said the system failed during the final electronic confirmation step in the closing hours of the window. She cited IEC figures showing that 2 274 candidates across 45 different political parties were captured on the backend of the system but were not recorded as officially submitted by the deadline.

The ANC has stressed that it is seeking the inclusion of these pre-existing names with absolutely no amendments or reordering of the lists and is currently addressing the matter with the IEC through established regulatory channels.