The Electoral Commission will urgently approach the
Electoral Court to postpone all scheduled by-elections as part of its response
to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The decision follows the announcement by the President
of the Republic of a National Disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act
(Act 57 of 2002) and the introduction of a range of measures to help curb the
spread of the coronavirus. The measures announced include urging people to
limit physical contact and prohibiting gatherings of more than 100 people.
The election process involves relative close physical
contact between election officials and voters including the exchange of ballot
papers and inking of thumbs. At the end of the voting process, ballot papers
must also be counted. Where an infected voter has handled a ballot, indications
are that active viruses will last for at least 10 hours. This will be yet
another opportunity for cross infection of officials conducting the counting
process.
Given heightened awareness and concerns over the
COVID-19 pandemic there is also a real possibility that significant numbers of
voters may stay away from voting stations in upcoming by-elections.
This will result in low participation levels which
will undermine the freeness and fairness of elections.
The Commission is of the view that in the
circumstances, the measures announced as part of the national response to the
pandemic; the possibility of free and fair elections is incontrovertibly
vitiated.
The Commission has written to the Minister and
provincial MEC’s for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to advise
them of the intended application to the Electoral Court.
All associated election events including voter
registration weekends and code of conduct signing ceremonies have also been
postponed.
Scheduled by-elections affected are as per the schedule below:
|
BY-ELECTION DATE
|
PROVINCE
|
MUNICIPALITY
|
WARD NUMBER
|
DATE OF
PROCLAMATION
|
|
18
March 2020
|
Gauteng
|
Emfuleni
|
16
|
14
Feb 2020
|
|
18
March 2020
|
Gauteng
|
City
of Johannesburg
|
68
|
14
Feb 2020
|
|
18
March 2020
|
Gauteng
|
City
of Johannesburg
|
120
|
14
Feb 2020
|
|
18
March 2020
|
Gauteng
|
City
of Johannesburg
|
130
|
14
Feb 2020
|
|
18
March 2020
|
KwaZulu-Natal
|
Msunduzi
|
25
|
14
Feb 2020
|
|
18
March 2020
|
KwaZulu-Natal
|
Mtubatuba
|
10
|
14
Feb 2020
|
|
18
March 2020
|
Limpopo
|
Polokwane
|
14
|
14
Feb 2020
|
|
18
March 2020
|
Mpumalanga
|
Emalahleni
|
18
|
14
Feb 2020
|
|
18
March 2020
|
Mpumalanga
|
Bushbuckridge
|
31
|
14
Feb 2020
|
|
18
March 2020
|
Northern
Cape
|
Khai-Ma
|
4
|
14
Feb 2020
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8
April 2020
|
Free
State
|
Matjhabeng
|
3
|
6
March 2020
|
|
8
April 2020
|
Gauteng
|
Ekurhuleni
|
60
|
6
March 2020
|
|
8
April 2020
|
Gauteng
|
Ekurhuleni
|
103
|
6
March 2020
|
|
8
April 2020
|
Gauteng
|
Tshwane
Metro
|
3
|
6
March 2020
|
|
8
April 2020
|
KwaZulu-Natal
|
eThekwini
|
32
|
6
March 2020
|
|
8
April 2020
|
KwaZulu-Natal
|
uMvoti
|
7
|
6
March 2020
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
29
April 2020
|
Gauteng
|
Ekurhuleni
|
89
|
27
March 2020
|
|
29
April 2020
|
Limpopo
|
Ba-Phalaborwa
|
19
|
27
March 2020
|
|
29
April 2020
|
Mpumalanga
|
Govan
Mbeki
|
30
|
27
March 2020
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13
May 2020
|
Eastern
Cape
|
Makana
|
14
|
9
April 2020
|
|
13
May 2020
|
Eastern
Cape
|
Amahlathi
|
1
|
9
April 2020
|
|
13
May 2020
|
Eastern
Cape
|
Mbizana
|
24
|
9
April 2020
|
|
13
May 2020
|
Northern
Cape
|
Dawid
Kruiper
|
10
|
9
April 2020
|
|
13
May 2020
|
Western
Cape
|
George
|
8
|
9
April 2020
|
|
13
May 2020
|
Western
Cape
|
George
|
14
|
9
April 2020
|
|
13
May 2020
|
Western
Cape
|
George
|
27
|
9
April 2020
|