Mashaba slams Malema's bid to postpone local elections until 2024

Friday, January 15, 2021 at 7:55 AM by Samantha Riddle

- The EFF recently called for the 2021 local government elections to be delayed until 2024

- This is as South Africa faces the Covid-19 pandemic, which has hindered campaigns to bolster support across the board

- Herman Mashaba, however, has slammed the move as 'grossly irresponsible'

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Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema recently revealed that the Red Berets believe that the 2021 local government elections should be delayed.

Mashaba slams Malema's bid to postpone local elections until 2024 — Mashaba warns that delaying the election would prompt a constitutional crisis. Image: Fani Mahuntsi/Gallo Images, Peter Mogaki/Sowetan
Source: Getty Images

ActionSA leader, Herman Mashaba, has warned that this proposal would spark a constitutional crisis:

“Delaying the 2021 elections would generate a constitutional crisis of municipal governments operating without the mandates they require from South Africans.”

Mashaba elaborated that the policies limiting a term in office are in place to safeguard SA's democracy:

“The constitution of our Republic of South Africa limits a term of office to five years. This provision is the most important safeguard to South Africa’s electoral democracy.

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Mashaba is adamant that neither Malema of the EFF have the ability to foresee what Covid-19 infections will be like towards the end of the year when the elections are expected to take place.

ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule called for electoral reform early last year and Mashaba has questioned why the ruling party and the EFF's views are suddenly aligning:

“It is a dangerous development that the EFF, once the staunchest opponents of the ANC, are now aligning with the Magashule faction of the ANC. Their shared proposal to delay the 2021 local government elections demonstrates that this alignment will be a threat to the South African constitution."

The founder of the fledgeling political party warned that any move to 'breach our constitution' by either party would be met with an answering challenge in court.

Earlier, Briefly.co.za reported that Julius Malema had held the EFF's first press briefing for the year on Thursday.