The Independent Electoral Commission has urged Parliament to continue considering the Electoral Laws Amendment Bill, even if it is not passed before South Africa’s local government elections on 4 November.
Courtesy: BusinessTech
Briefing Parliament’s Home Affairs Portfolio Committee, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Sheburi said some of the proposed changes could be more useful after the elections, particularly when dealing with by-elections and political party registrations.
One key proposal would require political parties without representation in Parliament, provincial legislatures or municipal councils to renew their registration annually. Parties that fail to confirm their continued existence by the deadline would be removed from the register.
The IEC says this could reduce litigation and administrative costs associated with deregistering inactive parties, which Sheburi referred to as “shelf parties”. Parties that comply with the renewal requirement would remain registered.
The bill also proposes changes to the Electoral Court, including increasing the number of members available to hear cases. MPs questioned the removal of the Judicial Service Commission from the process of recommending non-judicial members to the court. The Home Affairs Department said it would seek clarity on the reason for the change.
Other amendments include modernising the way official notices are served by removing registered post and telegrams, while retaining email and personal service.
The bill would also require voters to provide sufficient information about their ordinary place of residence and clarify privacy protections relating to information on the voters’ roll. It proposes that objections be made against the provisional voters’ roll before it is certified for an election.
MPs also raised questions about political party funding, with the IEC stressing that all parties remain subject to the requirements of the Political Party Funding Act.
With the November elections approaching, committee chairperson Mosa Chabane acknowledged that there may not be enough time to complete the bill before voting day. The committee will still subject the legislation to public participation before considering its next steps.
For the IEC, the legislation remains relevant even if it takes effect after the elections, particularly for future by-elections and the ongoing management of political parties.
Done By Liema Nyengule
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