OUR CITY NEWS: Eighty-three parties contest crowded Joburg local government elections

Heard of the Gap Fixers of South Africa? Or the Imstaying political party? What about the Organic Humanity Movement or the Lekwe Bepe Kingdom Party?

They are some of the 83 political parties contesting this year’s local government elections in Johannesburg.

With 83 parties (including independents) contesting the election, each of Johannesburg’s 135 wards has a minimum of 49 candidates contesting the election.

Most wards have more than 50 candidates standing, with Wards 10 (Lenasia) and 18 (Eldorado Park) each fielding 63 candidates. Only four wards (94, which includes Diepsloot and Kyalami; 134, which includes North Riding and Randpark Ridge; 90, which includes Craighall and Dunkeld; and 126, which includes Weltevreden Park) have 49 candidates standing.

There are more than 7,400 candidates contesting the ward vote, and each had to pay a deposit of R2,800 for political party candidates and R1,800 for independents.

Because Johannesburg is a metro, all voters will receive two very long ballot papers – one for the ward councillor and another for the proportional representation (PR) councillor.

Besides the usual political parties like the ANC, DA, Action SA, PA, FF+, EFF and ACDP, there are some interesting and unusual parties putting up candidates.

The Lekwe Bepe Kingdom Party’s website says only that it is a democratic political movement committed to ethical leadership, constitutional governance and sustainable development. There is no leadership information, and the website says its vision and mission statements still require leadership approval.

The African Renaissance Unity (ARU) party was relaunched in Durban in July 2026. The party was first formed in 2018 by Bryce Mthimkhulu. Siphephile Mahlaba serves as the interim president of the party. Ousted uMkhonto Wesizwe Party (MKP) founder Jabulani Khumalo supports the party and has encouraged his followers to vote for ARU candidates in local elections.

Then there’s the Organic Humanity Movement, founded by Lauren Evanthia Barnardo. It positions itself as a reformist movement seeking to restructure the country’s political system and advocates abolishing political parties entirely, allowing only independent individuals to stand for election. The movement emphasises personal freedom, including strong support for gun ownership, which it frames as resistance to international agendas such as UN Agenda 21.

Ilizwe Nathi is run by Thabile Sibeko and became prominent during the anti-immigrant protests earlier this year. The party campaigns under the banner of Isiviko Selizwe, advocating a “people-centred government” that serves the poor, middle class and wealthy equally.

The Bolsheviks Party of South Africa (BPSA) is led by Fanie Mogotji. BPSA is a “revolutionary socialist organisation” dedicated to mobilising the working class for a fair, equal and socialist society. In the 2016 municipal elections, it won three seats in the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality, securing more than 9,632 votes and 0.02% nationally.

Gap Fixers of South Africa (GFSA) launched in 2024 ahead of the general election. It was established primarily in KZN by figures critical of the country’s economic and political landscape. Themba Viros Buthelezi is the founder and president of the party, while Sbu Mpisane is the national chairperson and is a well-known businessman in KZN.

GFSA advocates removing the government tender system and putting in a system that will provide a more stable, direct chance at employment. According to the party, the 1993-1994 Codesa negotiations and the resulting framework preserved white economic dominance.

Imstaying was founded in 2019 by Cape Town entrepreneur Jarette Petzer as a social movement launched from a viral Facebook response to a wave of political doom, gloom and high emigration rates. The initial goal was to encourage all South Africans from different backgrounds to share positive stories, cross-cultural connections and reasons for being in the country. As a result, the group had more than 400,000 members within its first two weeks and continued to expand to more than 1.2 million members.

As of July 2026, the Imstaying movement officially launched its political party, led by president Shireen Ebrahim, South Africa’s first Indian female-led political party. The party’s campaign emphasises that while civic action highlights social structural failures, lasting systematic change requires effective governance from within.

The African Unemployed Congress is a small political party led by Siyabulela Mateza and was launched as a response to the escalating socioeconomic challenges the country was facing. The party’s manifesto and ideological platform focus on addressing mass unemployment, exclusion of job seekers and poor service delivery within marginalised municipalities.

Umphakathi Warona is a community-driven movement and political organisation focused on fighting for long-delayed RDP subsidised housing allocations and local service delivery. It is led by Thabo Moloi and Kim Baloyi. The party’s main aim is to campaign for individuals, particularly elderly residents, who registered for RDP housing as far back as 1996, but have still not received them, in townships such as Soweto, Alexandra, Cosmo City and Orange Farm. DM

The local government elections take place on 4 November, with special voting taking place on Monday, 2 November 2026, and Tuesday, 3 November 2026 (from 8am to 5pm).

This story is produced by Our City News, a non-profit organisation that serves the people of Johannesburg.