The Democratic Alliance (DA) has dismissed the ANC’s decision to challenge the outcome of the Emfuleni Ward 28 by-election in the electoral court, saying the governing party should accept that voters had rejected it rather than look for excuses.
The response follows comments by ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula on Tuesday confirming that the party had approached the electoral court to challenge the outcome of the by-election over what it describes as irregularities in the ward’s voters’ roll.
Addressing the media, Mbalula said the ANC believed the by-election had not been conducted on a lawful and reliable voters’ roll and insisted the court challenge was aimed at protecting the integrity of the electoral process.
“Where an election is not run on a lawful and reliable voters’ roll, the ANC will defend the vote of the people through the court,” Mbalula said.
He alleged that the voters’ roll contained serious irregularities, claiming there were instances where unusually high numbers of people were registered at a single address.
“Where have you seen 100 people from one house registered to vote? This is not sour grapes,” he said.
Mbalula argued that the matter went beyond the outcome of a single by-election and instead raised broader concerns about the integrity of South Africa’s electoral system.
However, the DA said the ANC’s court challenge reflected a party unwilling to confront its declining electoral support.
DA Federal Council chairperson Ashor Sarupen said instead of asking why voters in one of its traditional strongholds had turned away from the ANC, the party had chosen to litigate the result.
“The ANC should stop looking for excuses. Its terrible delivery record in local government is driving new voters to the DA in droves,” Sarupen said.
The DA argued that the Emfuleni outcome was not an isolated incident but evidence of a broader political shift, with communities increasingly abandoning the ANC because of deteriorating municipal governance, corruption and poor service delivery.
Sarupen said voters were increasingly backing the DA because it offered accountable government, reliable basic services and municipalities that worked for residents.
“If the ANC believes taking voters to court will restore their confidence, it has fundamentally misunderstood the message from Emfuleni,” he said.
The party predicted that more traditional ANC strongholds would fall to the DA during the local government elections on 4 November.
“Communities across South Africa are increasingly voting for accountable government, reliable services, safer neighbourhoods and local governments that work for all,” Sarupen said.
He added that while the DA respected the democratic choices made by vo
