Johannesburg - The Electoral Court on Wednesday postponed the case by independent candidates in the 2013 Tlokwe by-elections, the Electoral Commission of SA said.
“The Electoral Court heard the Tlokwe matter briefly today and postponed it for further hearing to 12 January,” spokeswoman Kate Bapela said.
“This was done to give the applicants a final opportunity to join all parties affected by their application.”
The independent candidates were also ordered to sort out some of their papers submitted to the court, which were not in order, she said.
The IEC would not comment further on the matter.
Independent candidates were arguing against the IEC's finding that only 1040 people voted illegally in the by-elections last year, saying the number was much higher.
In September, City Press reported that the IEC had admitted that 1040 illegal voters made their mark in the Tlokwe municipal by-elections, however, it insisted that the illegal votes did not change the outcome of the elections.
The admission was contained in a rejoinder affidavit filed with the Electoral Court in June and signed by chief electoral officer Mostho Moepya.
The case, which started in December, was reportedly postponed in June and was supposed to be heard in August. But it was again postponed indefinitely after Moepya's affidavit revealed that some registrations were illegal.
The by-elections were called after nine ANC councillors were fired by the party for refusing to support former Tlokwe mayor Mapetla Mapetla.
Independent candidates in nine of the wards asked the court to set aside the results and institute an independent investigation.
The African National Congress won eight of the nine wards.
Sapa