The Electoral Commission welcomes the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa of a return to Alert Level 1 which has opened the way for the resumption of some political activities including political gatherings of up to 100 people in an indoor venue and 250 people in an outdoor venue.
The relaxation of the restrictions paves the way for the holding of by-elections for municipal ward vacancies which arose over since the last by-election in early December. The outstanding by-elections scheduled to be held on 21 April and 19 May will help to “clear the decks” of vacancies ahead of the Local Government Elections scheduled for between 4 August and 1 November.
A total of 45 by-elections across 37 municipalities in all nine provinces are scheduled affecting 362 431 registered voters.
Under the current Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, the cut-off for the filling of ward vacancies ahead of the elections is 1 May (six months from the latest possible date for the Local Government Elections). The nine-month deadline for the cessation of by-elections in the case of dissolved municipal councils (1 February 2021) has already passed.
The resumption of by-elections is therefore one of the final opportunities ahead of the Local Government Elections for the Electoral Commission, political parties, independent candidates and other stakeholders to test their protocols for campaigning, voter registration, voting and counting of ballots while maintaining COVID-19 safety measures.
The Electoral Commission was able to conduct free, fair and safe by-elections in November and December last year during the previous Alert Level 1 phase of restrictions and remains confident it can conduct further by-elections under the same conditions.
The following by-elections will be held on 21 April 2021 with voter registration planned for 13 – 14 March 2021:
|
Province
|
Municipality
|
Ward number/s
|
Registered voters
|
|
Eastern
Cape
|
BUF -
Buffalo City
|
20
|
8 798
|
|
KwaZulu-Natal
|
ETH -
eThekwini
|
6
|
18 116
|
|
|
KZN292 -
KwaDukuza
|
5
|
4 350
|
|
|
KZN294 -
Maphumulo
|
5 & 7
|
8 993
|
|
|
KZN434 -
uBuhlebezwe
|
4
|
4 754
|
|
|
KZN435 -
uMzimkhulu
|
20
|
4 765
|
|
Limpopo
|
LIM332 -
Greater Letaba
|
15
|
3 856
|
|
Mpumalanga
|
MP305 -
Lekwa
|
11
|
4 930
|
|
North West
|
NW372 -
Madibeng
|
40
|
6 724
|
|
Northern
Cape
|
NC062 -
NAMA KHOI
|
2
|
3 067
|
|
|
NC452 -
GA-SEGONYANA
|
2
|
3 952
|
|
Western
Cape
|
CPT - City
of Cape Town
|
20
|
17 861
|
|
|
WC048 -
Knysna
|
11
|
2 810
|
|
|
WC053 -
Beaufort West
|
4
|
3 276
|
|
7 provinces
|
14 municipalities
|
15 (71 VDs)
|
96 252
|
The following by-elections are scheduled for 19 May 2021 with voter registration being planned for 10- 11 April 2021:
|
Province
|
Municipality
|
Ward/s
|
Registered voters
|
|
Eastern
Cape
|
EC122 -
Mnquma
|
28
|
4 345
|
|
|
EC124 -
Amahlathi
|
11
|
3 204
|
|
|
EC135 -
Intsika Yethu
|
17
|
3 325
|
|
|
EC154 -
Port St Johns
|
09
|
3 450
|
|
|
EC157 -
King Sabata Dalindyebo
|
34
|
5 673
|
|
|
EC441 -
Matatiele
|
11
|
3 698
|
|
|
NMA -
Nelson Mandela Bay
|
17
|
6 857
|
|
Free State
|
FS184 -
Matjhabeng
|
35
|
5 630
|
|
|
FS194 -
Maluti a Phofung
|
25
|
4 322
|
|
Gauteng
|
EKU -
Ekurhuleni
|
43
|
17 285
|
|
|
JHB - City
of Johannesburg
|
7; 17; 18;
23
|
74 933
|
|
|
TSH -
Tshwane Metro
|
3; 58; 88;
92
|
55 768
|
|
KwaZulu-Natal
|
ETH -
eThekwini
|
110
|
19 190
|
|
|
KZN282 -
uMhlathuze
|
15
|
6 442
|
|
|
KZN242 -
Nqutu
|
11
|
5 707
|
|
|
KZN262 -
uPhongolo
|
14
|
3 877
|
|
|
KZN282 -
uMhlathuze
|
15; 22; 30
|
16 164
|
|
Limpopo
|
LIM344 -
Makhado
|
38
|
5 663
|
|
|
LIM367 -
Mogalakwena
|
23
|
5 704
|
|
|
LIM476 -
Fetakgomo Tubatse
|
13
|
6 429
|
|
Mpumalanga
|
MP312 -
Emalahleni
|
33
|
4 731
|
|
|
MP313 -
Steve Tshwete
|
22
|
3 646
|
|
|
MP325 -
Bushbuckridge
|
21
|
6 578
|
|
6 provinces |
23 municipalities
|
30 wards (184 VDs)
|
266 179
|
ISSUED BY THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
Ensuring free, fair and credible elections
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