LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026: ANC abandons plan to name mayoral candidates amid fears of supporter backlash

With 42 candidates shortlisted across eight metros, the ANC is heading into local elections without naming who it wants to become mayor.

The ANC has abandoned plans to name its preferred candidates before the 4 November local government elections due to fears that announcing them could deepen internal divisions and undermine its election campaign.

Daily Maverick understands that the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) was worried that announcing its preferred candidates could trigger resistance and pushback from supporters of those who were not selected, potentially weakening the party’s campaign.

An ANC source with knowledge of the decision said that one of the main concerns was that local structures were not “sufficiently mature” to understand or manage the reasons behind the selection of particular candidates.

“The structures on the ground were not mature in terms of understanding the reasons or the move behind announcing a certain candidate.”

The decision follows two missed deadlines for the announcement of the ANC’s mayoral candidates. The party had initially committed to unveiling its candidates in August 2026. It subsequently pushed the announcement to September, with Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula indicating that the final selections would follow an assessment process.

Instead, the ANC presented lists of potential candidates, leaving the final choices unresolved as the election date approaches.

The ANC’s head of elections, Mdumiseni Ntuli, has confirmed that the party will not announce its mayoral candidates before the elections, citing the limited time remaining and the potential impact of disappointment among unsuccessful contenders on campaigning.

“We took a decision not to reveal mayoral candidates everywhere in the country,” said Ntuli, adding that candidates had been interviewed and assessed by national officials before the party decided against announcing its selections.

When approached by Daily Maverick for comment, Ntuli referred questions to ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, saying she was responsible for the matter. The publication had not received a response from Bhengu-Motsiri by the time of publication.

Rather than fearing a major public fallout, the party’s primary concern is that disappointed supporters might withdraw their backing from the election effort. By keeping all mayoral finalists in contention for now, the ANC hopes to keep competing factions actively campaigning for the organisation as a whole, rather than for individual candidates.

Johannesburg is one of the key battlegrounds where the ANC faces this dilemma. The party shortlisted three potential mayoral candidates for the city: incumbent mayor Dada Morero , regional chairperson Loyiso Masuku and party veteran the Rev Frank Chikane.

Selecting either Morero or Masuku could create difficulties for the party if supporters who had rallied behind the unsuccessful candidate refused to campaign for the eventual nominee.

The potential consequences extend beyond the candidates themselves.