Johannesburg - The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has defended its decision to reopen the candidate nomination process, telling told a joint parliamentary committee that it was “lawful and rational”.
On Friday, the IEC briefed the joint parliamentary committees on home affairs and select committee on security and justice, on the implications of the Constitutional Court ruling on the local government elections and the commission’s readiness.
Deputy chief executive Masego Sheburi, who led the presentation to the committee, said the IEC’s decision to open the registration process was based on the Constitutional Court order that set aside the proclamation Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma initially made.
Sheburi said that by setting aside the proclamation, the court effectively “unsealed” the voters roll and the candidate registration roll.
“The net effect of setting aside the proclamation is that people can still register and change their details on the voters roll.
“The registration entitles voters to be included on the roll, to vote, to nominate candidates and to stand for public office,” Sheburi said.
“The IEC is confident that the proposed amendments to the electoral timetable meets all the requirements for rationality and is lawful,” he added.
IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini told the committees that since the matter was in court, it was sub judice and the IEC could not answer further questions about the reopening of candidate registrations.
He said the IEC would be making a detailed representation to court on the matter.
“The matter would be sub judice for us to entertain further.
“We beg members to allow us the space to deal with it in court,” Mashinini said.
Political Bureau