ANC’s Lulama Ngcukayitobi Claims Fikile Mbalula Ordered Andile Lungisa’s List Removal

• The ANC Eastern Cape secretary sent a legal letter to Fikile Mbalula, accusing him of defamation over the candidate-list dispute
• Ngcukayitobi claims he was present when Mbalula personally instructed the removal of Andile Lungisa from the Nelson Mandela Bay PR list
• Lungisa has separately filed a court challenge over his removal, adding legal pressure on the ANC secretary-general

SOUTH AFRICA — The ANC's Eastern Cape secretary, Lulama Ngcukayitobi, has taken direct aim at secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, alleging through his lawyers that Mbalula personally issued the instruction to remove Andile Lungisa from the party's proportional representation list for Nelson Mandela Bay.

The allegation surfaced in a legal letter sent by Ngcukayitobi's lawyers to Mbalula, accusing the secretary-general of defamation, according to Sunday World. The letter states that Ngcukayitobi was present when the instruction to drop Lungisa from the ANC's candidate list was given.

Mbalula's version disputed

Mbalula had reportedly pointed the finger at Ngcukayitobi for the Eastern Cape's candidate-list problems, with an internal ANC report allegedly finding that Ngcukayitobi submitted the province's final list to the party's operations centre at 4:31pm on 28 August, just 29 minutes before the Electoral Commission of South Africa's deadline. The report suggested the timing left too little room for officials to process and submit the affected candidates.

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Ngcukayitobi's legal team rejected that account outright, arguing that Mbalula was using their client as a scapegoat for a broader crisis. The lawyers also disputed any claim that Ngcukayitobi had unlawfully altered an approved candidate list.

Lungisa pursues separate legal challenge

Andile Lungisa has filed his own court application, seeking a declaration that his removal from the Nelson Mandela Bay list was unlawful. He claims that at a meeting in Johannesburg, Mbalula directed ANC officials to strike his name from the list after his candidacy had already been approved through internal party processes. Lungisa was not at that meeting but says he was informed of the alleged instruction by attendees.

Mbalula has not accepted the allegations directed at him.

181 candidates already excluded

The disputes unfold against the backdrop of a deepening crisis for the ANC ahead of the 4 November 2026 local government elections. The Electoral Court has already rejected the ANC's challenge against the exclusion of 181 candidates across six municipalities, including four in the Eastern Cape, uMshwathi in KwaZulu-Natal, and Mangaung in the Free State. The party has indicated it will explore further legal avenues.

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Ngcukayitobi's lawyers have given Mbalula until 22 September to retract the statements they consider defamatory. Should he fail to do so, they have signalled that Ngcukayitobi will approach the High Court.

ANC loses IEC court case

Previously, Briefly News reported that the African National Congress failed in its legal bid to have 181 candidates reinstated to municipal election lists after the Electoral Court dismissed its appeal against the Electoral Commission of South Africa on Wednesday, 16 September 2026. After the decision, the ANC called for calm from its supporters. In a statement, the ANC said they are deliberating pursuing legal avenues over the judgement, as the local elections draw near.

Source: Briefly News