Push for Postponement of By-Elections at Electoral Court, IEC Announces
- With the by-elections around the corner, the Electoral Commission of South Africa announced it will urgently approach the Electoral Court
- The IEC is seeking a postponement of eight by-elections scheduled for Wednesday this week
- The move is in response to President Cyril Ramaphosa moving South Africa to level 4 lockdown due to the surge in positive coronavirus cases
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The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has said it will urgently approach the Electoral Court to postpone eight by-elections scheduled for Wednesday, 30 June.
This follows the implementation of alert level 4 of the national lockdown restrictions across South Africa. In a statement on Monday, the IEC said it took the decision to seek the court’s approval to postpone the by-elections at an emergency meeting.
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The meeting was convened after the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa of additional measures to help curb the alarming infection rate being observed amid the country's third wave of the pandemic.
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According to News24, Wednesday’s by-elections were the final by-elections scheduled to be conducted prior to the cessation of by-elections ahead of the Local Government Elections which are scheduled for October this year.
Voter registration in July will fall within third wave peak
SABC News reported that the developments come as the Moseneke Inquiry began its work on Monday, as the inquiry is considering whether the elections should indeed go ahead.
Dr Aslam Dasoo of the Progressive Health Forum, who made an oral submission virtually before Justice Dikgang Moseneke on day one of the sitting on the same day, said the national voter registration weekend scheduled for the 17 and 18 July will fall within the peak of the third wave.
"The voter registration programme planned for 16 and 17 July is going to fall squarely within the peak or the cresting of the current wave and poses a material risk," said Dasoo.
"If not from the registration venues, then from the concomitant movement of people during that time. So, it can be expected that pressure from political parties to undertake political activities such as rallies and community mobilisation during the months of August, September, and October will be high."
Maimane's One SA to contest elections with independent candidates
Mmusi Maimane's One South Africa has announced it has decided it will be participating in the 2021 Local Government Elections.
Briefly News reported earlier in January that instead of contesting the elections as a collective, the group will be putting forward independent candidates. In a statement released to announce the decision at the time, One SA responded to the call to approach the elections.
"We are convinced that these elections can and will demonstrate the power and potential of independent candidates, providing South Africans with a real alternative to political parties," read the statement.
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Source: Briefly News
