File
The Electoral Commission of South Africa has announced that a voter registration weekend will be held on 18 and 19 September, while also announcing the re-opening of candidate nominations for the 2021 local government elections.
IEC chairperson, Glen Mashinini, said on Monday that "the Commission is taking measures to ensure that it complies with the orders of the Constitutional Court relating to the conduct of municipal elections by 1 November 2021."
He said although the orders were handed down without a reasoned judgment at this stage, it was important that the Commission proceed with deliberate speed to comply with the decision of the Constitutional Court in the fulfillment of its mandate, notwithstanding current circumstances.
"This registration weekend will offer all eligible citizens an opportunity to register or update their registration details," he said.
Mashinini said all 23 151 voting stations will open from 08h00 until 17h00 on both days and the Commission was urging young people, in particular, to take advantage of this opportunity to register and eventually vote.
Meanwhile, Mashinini said in spite of some objections from political parties to the re-opening of the candidate nomination process, the Constitutional Court order requires the IEC to publish amendments to the electoral timetable which are now necessary.
He said this included the need to set a new deadline for the candidate's nominations, as the voter registration deadline is intended to precede the candidate nomination deadline.
"For example, persons can only be nominated as candidates once registered on the voters' roll and provided they are registered in the relevant segment concerned," he said.
The IEC said it was therefore necessary to allow political parties and independent candidates an opportunity to nominate candidates after the registration weekend of 18-19 September 2021 has occurred and after the voters' roll has closed.
