Durban - IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said the Electoral Commission’s logistical plans for the registration weekend on November 18 and 19 are on track.
The national general elections are expected to take place before August 2024, and President Cyril Ramaphosa will notify the country of the exact date of the election with a proclamation that will be published in the Government Gazette.
“We are currently finalising the training of staff so that people can be received in a climate of professionalism, well resourced registration stations so that people come in get registered, check details and leave voting stations without any hindrance,” Mamabolo said in an interview.
He said an issue that remained a challenge was how many candidates and political parties would be contesting.
“We have gone out to consult the public on the deposits that must be levied, and we have consulted the commission, and once they have considered and made a decision we will announce what the quantum of the deposits will be. That will have a bearing on how many people will be able to enlist as candidates in the election.”
Mamabolo said they were awaiting a Constitutional Court judgment after two challenges to the Electoral Amendment Act. In August the Constitutional Court heard a challenge to the threshold set for independent candidates to enter the national election, and a challenge on the number of seats available to independent candidates in the National Assembly. The court has also been asked to consider the way in which seats are calculated when an independent candidate vacates a seat.
Mamabolo said the court must be given the space to consider the issues inherent in the dispute carefully, and the space to consider all possibilities.
“Engaging in a speculative exercise is not in the interests of creating a climate for a proper adjudication of the matter. When the court issues a judgment, we will look at the impact that it will have on our preparations.”