BLOEMFONTEIN – The ANC is challenging the Electoral Commission (IEC) in court today over a candidate list dispute that could influence the outcome of the 4 November election in the Mangaung Metro, where no single party appears set to command a majority.

The Electoral Court in Bloemfontein is set to hear the ANC’s application against the IEC today.

The dispute follows the ANC’s failure to submit candidate names by the 28 August deadline at 17:00. The party blamed technical difficulties on the IEC’s website.

According to news channel eNCA, 181 ANC candidates from the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State, including Mangaung, have been affected.

Mmathabo Rasegane, spokesperson for the IEC in the Free State, said the certified list of candidates will only be available on Wednesday after the court case is concluded.

Research by global market research company Ipsos on 4 September showed the DA leading opinion polls in Mangaung with 36%, followed by the ANC with 32%, the EFF with 17%, the MK with 6% and Action SA with 2%.

According to Dr Ambrose du Plessis, senior lecturer at Political Studies and Governance at the University of the Free State, the possibility of a coalition government in the Mangaung Metro is a definite possibility.

He says voters must be careful to believe empty promises or unrealistic plans in relation to how municipalities function. “Many party manifestos are general party plans and does not pertain to the administration or governance of a specific municipality or metro.”

Du Plessis says it will take a huge effort to turn the administration of the Mangaung Metro around. He said voters need to understand how the political system works to recognise the significant role they play in determining which political party is entrusted with power.

“Some of the critical problems in Mangaung is the amount of vacant positions in the administration, promises that is not reachable and the damage that was done in the past years, leading to the metro being placed under provincial and national administration respectively.”

He said there are examples of well run coalition municipalities. “It could come down to a coalition in Mangaung, and depending on the parties involved and how they work together will show if there is a better future for the Mangaung Metro.”