The Electoral Court has dismissed the ANC's case relating to a dispute over the submission of councillor candidates lists to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
The case was heard virtually on Tuesday at 4pm.
In a media briefing last Tuesday, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula told journalists that the party had submitted all its councillor lists but the IEC had captured only 97% of them.
Mbalula said 3% of the list was submitted to the IEC but was not captured due to technical glitches.
This means that the ANC will not be able to field 181 councillors in municipalities across provinces including the Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.
The IEC has maintained that there were no technical glitches on its side and that it would not permit late submissions from other political parties.
The political parties affected number 48.
In a statement on Wednesday, the ANC said it respected the courts and the judicial process, adding that it has consistently maintained that the matter was neither about seeking preferential treatment for the ANC nor about asking the IEC to change the rules for the benefit of the party.
The ANC said the case concerned the legal status of candidate information that it maintains was captured in the IEC's electronic system before the prescribed deadline.
"Having considered the judgment, the ANC will exercise its legal rights and pursue the appropriate appeal process. Our legal representatives will engage the court on the legal questions arising from the judgment," the statement read.
"We call on all ANC members, leaders and supporters to remain calm and disciplined, and to refrain from public commentary that could prejudice or interfere with the ongoing legal process."
"The ANC remains fully committed to the 2026 Local Government Elections. Our focus remains on presenting our programme to South Africans, engaging communities, and earning their support through our record and our policies for the betterment of communities."