By Marcus Moloko
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula collapsed on Thursday shortly after delivering an emotional address following the party’s Constitutional Court victory over the inclusion of 181 councillor candidates on the ballot for the 4 November local government elections.
Mbalula was allegedly carried out by bodyguards after appearing to lose his grip before briefly confirming that he was not feeling well.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu confirmed that Mbalula was receiving medical attention after collapsing.
The Constitutional Court overturned an earlier Electoral Court ruling and directed the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to take the necessary steps to include the ANC’s affected candidate lists and ward nominations in six municipalities on the ballot.
The dispute came from the ANC’s failure to complete the final online submission process before the IEC deadline.
In a judgement handed down by Justice Rammaka Mathopo on Thursday, the court said: “The explanation for the delay is adequate, and there is no prejudice to the applicant. Consequently, condonation must be granted. It has also concluded that leave to appeal should be granted,” said Mathopo in the ruling.
Shortly before his collapse, Mbalula thanked ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa and party structures for supporting the legal challenge. He said the prospect of ANC supporters being unable to vote for the party’s candidates had weighed heavily on him during the court battle.
“I am standing on the steps of Constitutional Hill. On this hill, our people were once held in cells for demanding the very thing that has been decided inside this building today. One sentence on what the court has ordered, the Constitution has spoken and it has spoken for the people of this country,” Mbalula said.
The ruling is a significant step for the ANC ahead of the 4 November local government elections, allowing 181 previously excluded candidates to contest in affected municipalities across the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State.
