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KZN by-election postponed after ANC objections

File Photo
File Photo

Objections to the uPhongolo Ward 7 voters’ roll have forced a last-minute postponement of its by-election‚ which was due to take place on Wednesday.

Only one by-election will now take place in KwaZulu-Natal after the Electoral Court granted the motion by the Electoral Commission to postpone the Ward 7 by-election by 90 days or three months.

The postponement leaves only Msunduzi Municipality’s hotly contested Ward 32 in Pietermaritzburg to battle it out.

Electoral Commission spokeswoman Kate Bapela said the new date for the by-election in uPhongolo is now June 14‚ pending proclamation by cooperative governance MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube.

Bapela said the Electoral Commission had approached the Electoral Court to approve the postponement to “allow further investigation and rectification‚ if necessary‚ of objections to the voters’ roll”.

The ANC lodged an objection to the accuracy of the voters’ roll‚ claiming that approximately 380 voters – about 10% of the 3‚983 registered votes – were incorrectly registered in the ward.

The ward became vacant in December when councillor Mbhekiseni “Pat” Khumalo was shot dead at his house by assassins pretending they were residents needing assistance.

Maritzburg’s Ward 32 became vacant when former DA councillor Clive Lotz defected to the ANC after being appointed manager in the Speaker’s office.

The ward is contested by the DA‚ which is fielding pastor Shawn Adkin‚ the ANC’s candidate is Merle Williams‚ while the IFP is fielding Sakhile Makhathini.

 

 

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