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ConCourt to hear IEC application to postpone elections

Mpho Koka Journalist
Currently, the voters roll stands at 25.7m registered voters.
Currently, the voters roll stands at 25.7m registered voters.
Image: 123RF/Evgenyi Lastochkin

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says it will present its legal arguments on Friday August 20 in a virtual sitting of the Constitutional Court to call for the postponement of the fifth local government elections.

After adopting justice Dikgang Moseneke's report which recommended that elections will only be free and fair if they are held no later than February 2022, the IEC launched a bid in the apex court to have the October 27 polls postponed.

When making a presentation about the IEC’s state of readiness on the upcoming municipal elections during a webinar organised by the SA National Editors’ Forum on "How the Elections Work", the IEC’s deputy chief electoral officer in charge of electoral operations Masego Sheburi said elections held in October are not reasonably likely to be held in a free and fair manner.

“Elections held in October will not be constitutionally compliant because of the limitations placed on political parties and contestants by the necessary country response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the IEC did not run its general voter registration drive,” said Sheburi.

“If elections are held in February, they will likely be free and fair because more people in the country would have been vaccinated by this period,” said Sheburi.

While proceeding with its Constitutional Court application to get a postponement of the polls, Sheburi said the IEC is proceeding with all logistics for organising the elections in October.

He said the IEC will undertake a general registration drive in September.

Sheburi said the candidate nomination process is open and this window will close on August 23 at 5pm.

Currently, the voters roll stands at 25.7m registered voters.

The ANC and IFP have joined the IEC’s bid to have the elections postponed. The DA is opposing the electoral commission’s ConCourt application.

 

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