DA Sticks With Hill-Lewis, JP Smith And Limberg As Cape Town Election Battle Takes Shape

The Democratic Alliance has placed Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, JP Smith and Xanthea Limberg at the top of its candidate list as the party seeks another term governing South Africa's legislative capital in the 4 November local government elections.

The Electoral Commission has certified candidate lists for the elections, giving voters a clearer picture of the political figures who will contest seats in the City of Cape Town council.

Hill-Lewis heads the DA's proportional representation list, followed by long-serving councillors Smith and Limberg.

The arrangement largely retains familiar figures at the top of the DA's Cape Town operation as the party approaches two decades since it took control of the metro.

The ANC, meanwhile, has placed party campaigner Banoyolo Yawa at the top of its Cape Town PR list, while current opposition leader in council Ndithini Tyhido is among the party's prospective mayoral candidates.

ANC Places Banoyolo Yawa At Number One

Yawa's position at the top of the ANC list does not mean he is the party's mayoral candidate.

The ANC has been considering several people for the position, including Tyhido, Fiona Abrahams, Mareldia Chowglay, Luvuyo Zondani, Zelda Tarntaal and Ernest Theron. Western Cape ANC convenor Jeremiah Thuynsma has also been among those considered for mayor.

Thuynsma, however, does not appear on the party's certified candidate list for the Cape Town contest, according to current reporting on the lists.

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Former Western Cape ANC provincial secretary and MP Faiez Jacobs appears at number 14 on the party's PR list.

Former provincial MEC Leonard Ramatlakane is contesting as a ward candidate in Durbanville.

The ANC has not yet settled publicly on a single mayoral candidate for Cape Town from its shortlist.

DA's Abdulkader Elyas Ranked Fourth

One of the more closely scrutinised names on the DA's list is Cape Town councillor Abdulkader “AK” Elyas, who occupies fourth position behind Hill-Lewis, Smith and Limberg.

His placement follows an earlier DA disciplinary process concerning false information about his academic qualifications.

A September 2024 DA Federal Legal Commission document reported on this month recorded that Elyas was found guilty on five charges relating to qualifications he had claimed but had not obtained. Those included medical, actuarial science and other academic qualifications.

His inclusion high on the candidate list has subsequently drawn criticism from political opponents.

EFF Puts Forward Nontando Nolutshungu

The Economic Freedom Fighters has selected its national chairperson and parliamentary whip Nontando Nolutshungu as its candidate for Cape Town mayor.

Nolutshungu is also the only EFF proportional representation candidate appearing on the party's Cape Town list, according to reporting based on the certified candidate lists.

Other parties are also putting forward candidates for the mayoralty as the contest for seats in the council takes shape.

GOOD and RISE Mzansi are supporting former Cape Town mayoral committee member Brett Herron as a joint mayoral candidate, while ActionSA has named MP Dereleen James and the Patriotic Alliance has selected Cheslyn Steenberg.

Ellen Pakkies Enters Race For NCC

The National Coloured Congress has selected Ellen Pakkies as its mayoral candidate.

The NCC entered the Cape Town council for the first time after the 2021 local government elections, winning seven seats.

Pakkies became nationally known after killing her drug-dependent son, Abie, in 2007 following years in which the family struggled with his addiction and associated violence.

She was convicted in 2008 but received a suspended sentence and community service, with the circumstances surrounding the case receiving considerable attention.

Pakkies has since become an activist on drug addiction and the effect it has on families and communities. In announcing her Cape Town mayoral candidacy earlier this year, she identified drugs and support for vulnerable communities among the issues motivating her campaign.

Candidate Lists Set Stage For 4 November Vote

The Electoral Commission said it certified 136,790 candidates nationally after the nomination process closed at 17:00 on 28 August.

Candidates were submitted either through local Electoral Commission offices or its online candidate nomination system, with 84% of nominations submitted online.

The certified lists now provide voters with the names of those eligible to contest council seats when South Africans vote in the local government elections on 4 November 2026.

For Cape Town, they also provide the clearest indication yet of the political teams the major parties intend to send into the next council.

The DA enters the election with Hill-Lewis and two experienced councillors occupying its top three list positions, while the ANC, EFF, NCC and other parties are fielding their own candidates in the contest for representation and control of the metro.