Ahead of each general election of Municipal Councils, a number of
dependencies must occur in sequence to ensure the successful election of
representatives. The trigger for preparations is the Minister responsible for
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) publishing formulae for
the determination of the numbers of councillors for the three categories of municipalities.
In turn, the Members of the Executive Committees (MECs) responsible for Local
Government apply the formulae to determine the number of councillors for each
municipality in their respective provinces. Following the determination of the
number of councillors, the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) starts the process
of demarcating the ward boundaries.
Currently, the Minister and MECs have performed their roles. This has
enabled the MDB to launch the ward delimitation public consultation process on
3 April 2025 and thus marking the start of the delimitation exercise. That
process will culminate with the MDB handing over to the Commission the ward
boundaries at the end of October 2025. Those wards represent the political
boundaries within which the next general elections of municipal councils will
be contested. In corresponding elections in 2021, there were four thousand six
hundred wards (4 600).
On receipt
of the ward boundaries, the Electoral Commission will in turn undertake an
assessment to ensure that the boundaries of its network of 23 292 voting
districts are aligned to the wards. In instances where, as a result of the
demarcation of wards, voting districts no longer accord to the wards, the
Electoral Commission will undertake projects to communicate and re-register the
affected voters to ensure that they are registered in wards of ordinary residence.
The
Commission has begun preparations for the next general elections of municipal
council informed by among others the following:
- In terms of the legal
scheme, the term of a municipal council subsists for a period of five (5)
years,
- an election must be held
within ninety (90) days of the end of the term,
- the end of the term is
calculated from the day following the date of the last general elections. The
elections of the current municipal councils were held on 1 November 2021,
- on that reckoning, the
elections must be held between 2 November 2026 and 30 January 2027.
The
authority to set a date and call an election is within the statutory remit of
the Minister of CoGTA. In this regard, preliminary consultations between the Commission
and the Minister have commenced.
Electronic Voting
In March 2025, the Commission
hosted an international conference on the feasibility
of electronic voting in South Africa. At the conference, the Commission
launched a Discussion Document to start a country discussion on the use of
technology in elections. The policy discussion document assessed, among others,
the following:
- Reasons for considering the
introduction of e-voting in South Africa.
- The relevant constitutional
principles, policy and legal framework that must precede the introduction of
e-voting in the country.
- Available e-voting options,
their technologies, and cost implications.
- Relative benefits and
challenges of the diverse options, bearing in mind the South African context.
- Attitudes and concerns of
the public and key stakeholders regarding e-voting.
- Opinions and preferences of
marginalised groups, including persons with disabilities and rural communities.
- Experiences of jurisdictions
that have successfully implemented e-voting and those that have stopped using
e-voting.
The key
lessons from the conference are that:
- Public trust is key in the
successful adoption of e-voting. It is thus exceedingly important that the
process is both accessible and inclusive.
- Successful e-voting systems
require robust, reliable technological infrastructure, including secure
servers, stable power sources, and reliable internet connectivity.
- Implementation of e-voting
must help the country transcend some of its institutionalised challenges e.g.,
the digital divide, low levels of internet penetration in certain social
settings, illiteracy, and accessibility for persons with disabilities.
- E-voting must enhance the
efficiency of election administration, transparency in elections, trust in
electoral outcomes, and improved voter convenience.
- E-voting may contribute to increased
participation by certain demographics. But in and of itself, e-voting will not
impact the turnout of persons who have opted out of electoral processes. In
other words, persons who do not see value in voting will not vote just because
there is a new voting platform.
- A thorough analysis of the
total costs associated with e-voting must be undertaken. It must not be
accepted as fact that e-voting would reduce the costs of administering
elections.
Armed with
the conference lessons, the Commission is rolling out a six-month engagement
period to receive views from stakeholders, voters, and interest groups. The
submissions will enhance and inform the final policy document on e-voting in the
country.
Timeline
of public engagement:
|
Date
|
- Milestone
|
|
April -
September 2025
|
-6-month
public and stakeholder engagement period
|
|
October
2025
|
-Review
of public submissions
|
|
March
2026
|
-Drafting
of Final Policy Document
|
It is important to note
that the Commission has not yet made a decision on the use of e-voting.
Submissions
can be sent to the following email:
Election of Representatives
The Electoral Commission is responsible for the election of councillors to municipal councils in between general elections. There are two categories of councillors. The first category is ward councillors. These are elected to represent a defined geographical area - ward. They can be nominated by a political party or be an individual not associated with a party- independent candidate. The only way to elect or replace a ward councillor is by way of an election in the concerned ward.
From
June 2024 to date, the Electoral Commission has administered one hundred and thirty-three
(133) by-elections to replace ward councillors. Historically, in the period
following a general election, parties change representatives from local to
provincial or to the national assembly. This accounts for the majority of the
councillors that were replaced since the general elections in May last year.
The highest number of vacancies arose in municipalities in Limpopo with
twenty-eight (28) vacancies, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with twenty-seven (27)
vacancies, and the Western Cape with sixteen (16) vacancies. Over the past 15
years, the average number of by-elections administered in a financial year
stands at hundred and twelve (112).
The second category of councillors
are Proportional Representative (PR) councillors who are elected from lists of
parties to represent the party in the municipal council in proportion to the
votes each party receives in an election. In the period since elections last
year the Electoral Commission has replaced four hundred and twenty five (425) proportional representative councillors.
On average the Electoral Commission replaces three hundred and fifty three
(353) PR councillors in a financial
year.
Cancellation
of Registration of Inactive Parties
The Electoral Commission is
the registrar of political parties. Currently, there are six hundred and nine
(609) registered political parties of which 383 are registered on a national
level while the balance of 226 are either registered provincially or on
municipal level. Registration as a party confers certain benefits. Among those
is that the Electoral Commission is obliged to protect the registered names,
logos, and abbreviated names of registered political parties.
On 17 February 2025, the
Electoral Commission, in terms of section 17 of the Electoral Commission Act 51
of 1996, gave notice, in writing, to one hundred and ninety-two (192) political
parties of its (Commission’s) intention to cancel the registration of those
parties.
There are certain
obligations imposed on registered parties. Included in those is that a party
that is not represented in a Municipal Council, Provincial Legislature, or the
National Assembly must indicate to the Commission its continued existence. This
prescribed indication must be received before the end of January each year.
Following the
expiry of the date for the hundred and ninety-two (192) parties to make
representations, the Electoral Commission provides an update as follows:
- Hundred and thirty-six
(136) political parties have made representations to preserve their status as
registered parties.
- Three (3) political parties have
requested the Commission to cancel their registrations,
- Fifty-three (53) political
parties did not respond to the invitation to make representation.
Once the
Commission has made decisions in respect of all those parties, the register of
parties will be updated. The cancellation of the registration of inactive
political parties is necessary to ensure that only active political parties
remain on the register. The cancellation of inactive parties will also free the
usage of names, abbreviated names, logos, and colour schemes for aspirant
parties. During the last National and Provincial Elections in 2024 (NPE2024)
only seventy (70) or 16% of the four hundred and forty-nine (449) parties
registered nationally and provincially contested the elections. Of the seventy
(70) parties that contested only twenty (20) parties received enough votes to
gain representation.
Schools democracy Program and Tertiary Institutions
program
As we reflect on the strength of our electoral democracy,
the Commission continues with efforts to engage South Africa’s youth in
electoral processes, ensuring that young persons understand their power and
responsibility as voters. According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), from 1996 to 2022, the
total youth population in South Africa rose from 14.7 million to 21.6 million,
which translates to an increase of 6.9 million persons. Young persons in the
age cohort 18 to 34 years old thus constitute a third of the total population
of the Republic. Concerning however, is that the rate of registration by this
demographic has not kept pace with their growth. As at 22 April 2025, the total number of
registered voters stood at 27 654 830. Young persons in age category 18 to
35 year old account for 28% or 7,9 million of the registered voters.
Of the approximately 9 473 councillors elected in LGE2021, only 1 421
or 15% were persons younger than 35 years of age.
Similarly, only 93 out of the 889 representatives elected following NPE2024
were young persons.
In recognition of the youthful character of the
country’s population, the Commission persists with civic democracy drives
targeting young learners and students across the country. The drive will focus
on all university campuses and 180 Technical and Vocational Education and Training
(TVET) colleges and private colleges nationwide, ensuring that young people are
not only informed but also actively participate in electoral processes.
Additionally, the Commission is deploying campus-based registration ambassadors
to assist students at the various tertiary institutions to register and update
their registration details. This is crucial for ensuring that students are
correctly registered and can vote at the correct voting station in future
elections.
The Commission has already reached out to no fewer
than four hundred high schools in the month of April, encouraging students to
register and to understand the importance of their participation in elections.
This effort is part of a broader goal to foster a culture of civic
responsibility.
Mindful that youth in education institutions do not
represent the totality of the youth milieu, the Electoral Commission’s Civic
and Democracy Education (CDE) program continues to play a pivotal role in
engagement with citizens. In the period leading to NPE2024, the Electoral Commission
hosted no less than 204 000 face to face civic and voter education events.
Research indicates that a substantial number of voters still prefer to receive
content during face-to-face interactive workshops.
Through these efforts, the Electoral Commission is
not only facilitating the mechanics of voting but also empowering citizens to
take ownership of their political rights. The Electoral Commission remains
committed to creating a future where every citizen understands the power of
their vote and is actively involved in the democratic process.
Voter
Registration is Continuous
The Constitution guarantees
free and fair elections on the basis of universal adult suffrage underpinned by
a common voters’ roll. The Commission has since 2021 implemented an additional
modality to register voters. The introduction of online
self-voter registration has proven to be effective, with young individuals
turning to this platform to register. This advancement represents an important
achievement in enhancing the accessibility, efficiency, and user-friendliness
of the voter registration process for all citizens.
The implementation of
online self-voter registration is positively impacting the maintenance of the
voters’ roll and the currency of the voter’s information on the roll. Since
June last year, the Electoral Commission has interacted with four hundred and
eight thousand six hundred and fifteen voters (408 615) across its voter
registration platforms. Two hundred and fifty-eight thousand eight hundred and thirty-eight
(258 838) were persons who were registering as voters for the first time.
The majority of whom were young persons.
We urge
all eligible South Africans to use this modality to register, and those who are
already registered to check and, if necessary, update their address details to
ensure that they continue to shape affairs of their communities by
participating in by-elections in wards where they are ordinarily resident.
Political Funding
Political
Representatives Fund (PRF) Allocation for Political Parties Represented in the
National and Provincial Legislatures
NPE2024 did not yield any representation for independent candidates.
Consequently, only political parties are represented in the national and
provincial legislatures. These parties will be allocated a total budget of
R335 521 000 from the national fiscus for the current 2025/26
financial year.
This amount will be distributed among twenty (20) represented political
parties over the four quarters of the current financial year. Each quarter, the
Electoral Commission will receive and distribute an estimated
R83 880 250 among the twenty political parties in terms of a set
formula of 90% proportional and 10% equitable allocation.
2024/25 Political
Representatives Fund (PRF) Annual Report (AR)
The Commission has finalised the 2023/24 Political Representatives Fund
(PRF) Annual Report. The report is currently being audited by the Auditor
General. The audit outcomes will give an assessment of how the Commission has
discharged its responsibilities in the management of the Political Funding Act,
2018. The Annual Report will also contain extracts of audited financial
statements of the different political parties, including the fifteen parties
that were represented prior to the 2024 national and provincial elections.
Quarter 4 of 2024/25
Donations Disclosure Report
The fourth quarter donations Disclosure Report of political parties will
be issued during the month of May 2025. This report will cover the period from
1 January – 31 March 2025. Little fundraising and donation activity was
observable during the past two quarters. Fewer political parties declared
donations above the R100 000 threshold compared to the period leading to
the 2024 NPE.
Symposium on Political
Funding in South Africa
After four years of implementing the Political Funding Act, 2018, the
Electoral Commission will host the first-ever symposium on political funding in
South Africa. The symposium will be held under the theme: Sustaining
Multi-Party Democracy through Enhancing Political Funding Regulation in South
Africa. The symposium will traverse topics such as the
influence of money in politics, transparency
in funding, accountability, and the desirability of reforms to strengthen the
regulatory framework.
The symposium will draw participants from a variety of sectors covering politics,
academia, legislative bodies, the executive, non-governmental and non-profit,
media, targeted international and/or intergovernmental organisations (IGO) and business.
The symposium will take place in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal Province, on 18
and 19 June 2025.
As we approach Freedom Day and on the occasion of the
31st anniversary of South Africa’s first democratic elections on 27
April, the Electoral Commission joins the nation in celebrating this moment of
democratic breakthrough. The day does not only mark a break with our past, but
it also memorialises the beginning of our nations journey towards a democratic
society.
For its part in strengthening constitutional
democracy, the Electoral Commission will endeavour to ensure the delivery of
credible, free and fair elections.
ISSUED BY THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION
Ensuring free and fair elections
Centurion
For media queries: Please contact Kate Bapela on
082 600 6386
For media interviews: Please email requests to: [email protected]
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