The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is gearing up for what could be its largest local government election by candidate count with projections surpassing 100,000 prospective candidates across more than 4,468 wards nationwide, up from the 95,000 candidates who contested the 2021 elections.
Candidate nominations are expected to close towards end-July, after the voter registration weekend on June 20 and 21. Due to the elevated candidate numbers, the commission urged prospective independents and political parties to prepare their documentation early.
Election deposits, a statutory requirement, have been published for public comment, with submissions due by May 8. Proposed deposits range from R1,800 for a single ward to R4,700 for a metropolitan council seat. Candidates who fail to secure 10% of the vote in their ward will forfeit their deposit to the National Revenue Fund.
“Our stock of 40,000 voter management devices, which are essential to the registration drive, has undergone mandatory maintenance,” chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said at the official launch of preparations on Wednesday.
“Frameworks indicate that candidate nomination is likely to close towards the end of July this year. We anticipate that we will likely surpass the 100,000 mark in terms of prospective candidates for the elections. So given the projected number of candidates, we encourage all prospective independent candidates and political parties to prepare the nomination documents and other requirements [in time].”
Coding flaws
Software coding flaws that hampered device performance during the 2024 general election have been resolved, Mamabolo added.
Independent ICT auditors will conduct stress testing and code reviews ahead of the registration weekend to verify optimal performance.
The election date has yet to be proclaimed. However, chair Mosotho Moepya said there are discussions between the IEC and the department of co-operative governance & traditional affairs.
“Those conversations are at an advanced stage and we expect that the minister [Velenkosini Hlabisa] will soon … confirm the elections.”
The DA’s campaign manager, Ashor Sarupen, said: “The DA sees today’s launch by the IEC of the election branding and logo as a milestone towards election day. However, we do expect more certainty on the election date to be forthcoming sooner rather than later.”
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