Johannesburg- The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has welcomed the announcement by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to re-open voter and candidate registrations for the 2021 local government elections (LGE)
This is an announcement made on Tuesday after the Constitutional Court dismissed the IEC’s application to defer the elections, as a result of the Covid19 pandemic precautions.
“The committee believes that it is vital that every eligible South African has an opportunity to register in a manner that is safe to their health,” said CoGTA in a statement.
While the Constitutional Court had advised the IEC that the elections be held by no later than November 1, 2021, following the now-accepted proposal to have the registration weekend from 18 to 19 September.
The registrations weekend is set to allow voters to update their details and afford new voters the chance to register. CoGTA Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has announced that the elections will be on 1 November.
The committee also noted that the IEC had taken a decision to allow political parties and independent candidates an opportunity to nominate candidates after the registration weekend has occurred and after the voters’ roll has closed.
It said it was aware of the contention around this decision from various parties. Committee chairperson Fikile Xasa said it was important to give the IEC “the space to navigate this period in a manner that will ensure that the country holds safe, free and fair local government elections”.
The committee has already met up and finalised matters with the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) to assess the delimitation process of the elections. The final wards were handed over to the IEC on 1 December 2020. Furthermore, a meeting with the IEC has been scheduled for 22 September 2021 to evaluate its readiness for the elections in consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic. This meeting is set to assess the IEC’s response to the Constitutional Court Order, as well- to fore-manage challenges in relation to this regard.
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