Photo by Gallo Images / Darren Stewart
Photo by Gallo Images / Darren Stewart
Well, well, well. The Constitutional Court of South Africa has spoken – and their ruling is likely to send shockwaves throughout the benches of Parliament. Despite facing some ferocious pressure to delay the Local Elections for 2021, ConCourt has decided that the democratic vote must go ahead ‘between 27 October to 1 November’.
When will the 2021 Local Elections take place in South Africa? ConCourt drops a date
The sudden announcement already has its detractors – not least including the ruling party. The ANC, currently in the most dire of all straits, failed to register dozens of candidates on time, in a blunder that is likely to hamper their performance with the voters this year. Quite simply, some municipalities will have NO ANC candidate to vote for.
Supporters of this ruling, however, have taken their celebrations to the Twittersphere.
Good news. Election goes ahead within constitutional time limit Concourt rules. Best news all year.
— Helen Zille (@helenzille) September 3, 2021
The Concourt’s decision. IEC’s application dismissed. The election must take place no later than 1 November 2021. Great. Let’s do this. pic.twitter.com/8H1brTWguz
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) September 3, 2021
Who’s for it, and who’s against it?
The EFF are also fierce opponents of the Local Elections happening in 2021. With concerns surrounding the latest variant of COVID-19, and stubbornly high numbers of new infections still lingering in SA, the Red Berets fear that a refusal to postpone the vote will only help the virus continue to spread across the country.
- However, as we’ve learned earlier this year, what ConCourt says goes: And they’ve already laid down the law:
“If the IEC decides it is practical to hold a voter registration weekend, Local Elections must be held on any day from 27 October to 1 November 2021. It will be up to the COGTA Minister to then declare the date on which the vote will be held. The Commission has three days after this order to announce its final decision.”
