South Africa in September 2026: the most important developments in politics
In South Africa in September 2026, politics centred on the run-up to the local government elections and the ANC's problems with its candidate lists. On September 8 the ANC confirmed that the identity numbers of 252 candidates had been recorded incorrectly and asked the Electoral Court to overturn an IEC deadline. The party hired a forensic investigator to examine alleged tampering with the list. On September 16 the Electoral Court dismissed the ANC's appeal against the IEC, and the party lost its bid to reinstate 181 candidates. On September 23 the ANC took the dispute to the Constitutional Court. The IEC prepared ballots while the ANC faced exclusion in six municipalities. A witness testified in court that ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula gave delegates cash, and the party's Eastern Cape secretary threatened to sue Mbalula. Gigaba was removed from a parliamentary committee after a dispute within the ANC.
On September 16 the president was booked off from public engagements because of ill health, with no illness or duration specified; on September 17 Paul Mashatile said he looks forward to returning to his duties in his first appearance since surgery. The Cosatu national congress collapsed amid divisions between the ANC and the SACP.
Abroad, South Africa criticised planned US visa restrictions over alleged racial discrimination and asked Washington to respect its sovereignty. On September 30 it summoned the US ambassador over what an official called undiplomatic conduct, the second such summons in recent weeks. Colombia withdrew its intervention in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the UN court. The National Assembly suspended official visits to South Africa after attacks on migrants.
Among other matters, Johannesburg disconnected the Nigerian consulate over an unpaid debt of about R7 million. A veteran politician known as "grandmother" entered the Johannesburg mayoral race. Survivors of the Sharpeville massacre began a legal action, and victims of apartheid fought to reopen their cases.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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