Quick Summary: High Court Orders Evidence in Mbalula Defamation Case Amid ANC Tensions
- On 5 October 2026, the High Court ordered oral evidence in a defamation case involving Mbalula, following accusations of vote-buying during ANC elections.
- The ANC is under pressure as the Constitutional Court ruling will determine its participation in upcoming local government elections.
- ANC members demand a forensic investigation into the failure to submit candidate lists, suspecting internal sabotage.
- The ANC argues it completed all necessary steps before the deadline but failed to click the final submission button.
- Branch members are calling for Mbalula’s suspension, reflecting growing unrest within the party.
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The ANC is embroiled in a leadership crisis centered around Fikile Mbalula, whose alleged avoidance of a special NEC meeting has sparked demands for a forensic probe and raised tensions within the party. At the heart of the chaos is the ANC’s failure to submit candidate lists for six municipalities, a blunder that could cost them seats in the upcoming elections.
As the Constitutional Court prepares to rule on whether the ANC can contest these elections, the party’s internal divisions are becoming increasingly apparent. The failure to click a final submission button has been labeled as either incompetence or possible sabotage, with some insiders suggesting it was an attempt to block community-nominated candidates.
Adding to the turmoil is Mbalula’s involvement in a separate court case with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, which has further tarnished his reputation. The ANC’s leadership is now waiting for the results of an independent investigation to decide Mbalula’s fate, as branch members continue to demand accountability and transparency.
On 5 October 2026, the High Court ordered oral evidence in the defamation case after Dlamini-Zuma accused Mbalula and Ronald Lamola of vote-buying during ANC internal elections. In the Constitutional Court fight, the ANC is arguing that it did everything required before the 5pm deadline on 28 August 2026 except click the final electronic confirmation.
The Constitutional Court’s ruling is now the immediate pressure point because it will determine whether the ANC can contest proportional-representation seats in four municipalities and whether in two municipalities it remains entirely out of the 4 November 2026 local government elections. ” He also stresses that the “submit as final” rule dates back to 2016 and says the ANC complied in 251 municipalities, undercutting any broader claim that the portal was inherently defective.
The Electoral Court had already found that until that final button is clicked, nominations remain provisional and can still be changed or withdrawn. If the court rules against the ANC and the audit points to negligence or manipulation, the demand heard this week from branch members and NEC insiders for Mbalula to be charged, suspended or otherwise held accountable is likely to intensify sharply over the coming days.
It is whether the ANC secretary-general’s office presided over a catastrophic failure, whether that failure was mere incompetence or deliberate internal sabotage, and whether Ramaphosa’s top leadership will protect him while awaiting two outcomes: the Constitutional Court judgment and the promised independent audit or forensic report. ” According to the same report, protesters wanted assurances “that Mbalula has been charged or suspended” and that the names of their preferred candidates had been restored to IEC lists.
There is another twist making Mbalula more vulnerable this week: a separate court fight with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has kept fresh controversy around his name. Dlamini-Zuma responded: “The Court has made no such order [for retraction.
On 5 October 2026, the High Court ordered oral evidence in the defamation case after Dlamini-Zuma accused Mbalula and Ronald Lamola of vote-buying during ANC internal elections. Quick Summary: Claims of Mbalula ducking special NEC as party anxiously awaits ConCourt, audit outcomes – News24 On 5 October 2026, the High Court ordered oral evidence in a defamation case involving Mbalula, following accusations of vote-buying during ANC elections.
In the Constitutional Court fight, the ANC is arguing that it did everything required before the 5pm deadline on 28 August 2026 except click the final electronic confirmation. The Constitutional Court’s ruling is now the immediate pressure point because it will determine whether the ANC can contest proportional-representation seats in four municipalities and whether in two municipalities it remains entirely out of the 4 November 2026 local government elections.
” He also stresses that the “submit as final” rule dates back to 2016 and says the ANC complied in 251 municipalities, undercutting any broader claim that the portal was inherently defective. It is whether the ANC secretary-general’s office presided over a catastrophic failure, whether that failure was mere incompetence or deliberate internal sabotage, and whether Ramaphosa’s top leadership will protect him while awaiting two outcomes: the Constitutional Court judgment and the promised independent audit or forensic report.
Adding to the turmoil is Mbalula’s involvement in a separate court case with Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, which has further tarnished his reputation. ” According to the same report, protesters wanted assurances “that Mbalula has been charged or suspended” and that the names of their preferred candidates had been restored to IEC lists.
Dlamini-Zuma responded: “The Court has made no such order [for retraction. Branch members are calling for Mbalula’s suspension, reflecting growing unrest within the party.
The scale and speed of this development has caught many observers off guard. Each new update adds another dimension to a story that is still unfolding, and the full picture will only become clear as more verified details emerge from the people and institutions directly involved.
Analysts who have tracked this issue closely say the current moment represents a genuine turning point. The decisions made in the coming weeks are expected to set the direction for months ahead, with ripple effects likely to extend well beyond the immediate actors in the story.
For those directly affected, the practical impact is already visible. People navigating this fast-changing situation are dealing with real consequences while new information continues to reshape what is known and what remains open to interpretation.
Historical parallels offer some context, though experts caution against drawing too close a comparison. Similar situations have played out before, but the specific combination of pressures, personalities, and timing here makes this moment distinct in ways that matter for how it ultimately resolves.
The political and economic dimensions of this story are deeply intertwined. What appears as a single event on the surface is in practice the convergence of multiple pressures that have been building quietly over a longer period than most public reporting has captured.