The Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) is seeking public comment on the proposed rates for election deposits for this year’s local government elections.
The elections are scheduled for October 27.
The proposed rates published in terms of Section 14(1)(b) and Section 17(2)(d) of the Local Government: Municipal Electoral Act, 2000 (Act 27 of 2000) are as follows:
- (a) R3 500 in respect of an election in a metropolitan municipality;
- (b) R2 000 in respect of an election in a local municipality with wards;
- (c) R1 000 in respect of an election in a district municipality; and
- (d) R1 000 in respect of an election in a ward, if the party is not contesting PR election or an independent ward candidate.
"The proposed amounts are unchanged from those set in Municipal Elections 2016, and reflect a decrease of between 50% (for independent candidates and those choosing to contest a single ward), 12.5% (for those contesting metro councils) and 20 percent (for those contesting local councils) since Municipal Elections 2011," the IEC said on Monday.
"Under the proposal, a political party contesting all elections across the country (i.e. 44 District PR, 205 Local PR, eight Metro PR and 4 468 wards) would pay a deposit of R482 000 for a total of 4 725 elections and ballot papers, on which the party and its candidates would appear. This, compared to R605 000 for contesting all 10 elections in National (1) and Provincial (9) Elections in 2019," said the IEC.
The IEC said it would publish the final list of deposit costs prior to the proclamation of elections by Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, which expected is to take place by August 2.
"Representations and comments must be submitted by 4pm on Friday July 2, 2021, to the Electoral Commission for the attention of Mr Kgosietsile Tshoke, at [email protected] or may be delivered to Election House, Riverside Office Park, 1303 Heuwel Avenue, Centurion, 0157."
Politics