Photo: Flickr / Frank Trimbos
IEC wants court to postpone Wednesday’s by-elections after Level 4 restrictions
The IEC said it would urgently approach the Electoral Court to postpone the 8 by-elections scheduled for Wednesday following the ban on all public gatherings.
Photo: Flickr / Frank Trimbos
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said it would approach the electoral court in a bid to postpone eight by-elections that were expected to take place on Wednesday, 30 June. This move comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa moved the country to level 4 lockdown restrictions and banned most public gatherings.
ELECTORAL COURT APPROACHED
The IEC said it took the decision to seek the court’s approval to postpone the elections at an emergency meeting on Monday, 28 June, following the announcement by the President on Sunday.
Ramaphosa introduced several restrictions to help curb the third wave which is currently spreading across the country, including a ban on all gatherings, except for funerals.
“Wednesday’s elections were the final by-elections scheduled t be conducted prior to the cessatoion of by-elections ahead of the Local Government Elections scheduled for October this year,” said the IEC.
The elections would have taken place in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape and Western Cape across 48 voting station that are in the home districts of 71 305 registered voters. In total, 40 candidates from 14 political parties and three independent candidates were expected to contest the elections.
The IEC said it approached the electoral court to postpone more than 100 by-elections during the first two waves of the pandemic.
“These by-elections were safely conducted during lulls in the pandemic when restrictions were at level 1 during November and December 2020 and again during March, April and May 2021,” said the IEC.
THE EIGHT AFFECTED BY-ELECTIONS ARE:
Eastern Cape:
- Ward 03 in the Makana Municipality – EC104
KwaZulu-Natal:
- Ward 98 in the eThekwini Municipality – ETH
- Ward 05 in the eDumbe Municipality – KZN261
Northern Cape:
- Ward 01 in the Sol Plaatje Municipality – NC091
Western Cape:
- Ward 51 in the City of Cape Town Municipality – CPT
- Ward 63 in the City of Cape Town Municipality – CPT
- Ward 01 in the Cederberg Municipality – WC012
- Ward 02 in the Swartland Municipality – WC015
