Chief electoral office Sy Mamabolo addressed the official launch of the 2021 local government elections mobilisation campaign on Wednesday.
Mashinini was speaking at the launch of this year's municipal election campaign in Sandton earlier on Wednesday.
The Electoral Commission has appointed former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke to lead a process to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on conditions conducive for the holding of free and fair elections later this year.
The president announced that the local government elections will be held in October despite strong opposition from some political parties who have warned that the pandemic will make it difficult for such to take place.
The IEC said there would only be one voter registration weekend, which will see over 23,000 voting stations around the country open from 8 am to 5 pm to help new voters register and existing voters update their details if necessary.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) held a briefing following the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa of 27 October 2021 as the date for local government elections. The IEC outlined the logistics and issues relating to COVID-19 in the briefing. #LocalElections2021 #ElectionsSouthAfrica
President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday announced that the local government elections would be held on 27 October 2021.
The IEC told Parliament’s portfolio committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs that it took the decision due to budget constraints.
Following years in the legislating process, the Political Party Funding Act, which garnered both support and rejection by political parties and other sections of society, is finally effective. The act will regulate public and private funding of political parties represented in the national and provincial legislatures.
Julius Malema said the IEC should guide the process of postponing the elections.
The new Political Party Funding Act comes into effect on 1 April. What does the act aim to achieve and what are the implications for political parties, individual party members and donors?
The act regulates direct private donations to political parties and includes restrictions such as laws barring individual party members from receiving donations.
The bill limits the amount that can be donated to political parties and prohibits donations from foreign governments, agencies, persons and entities.
The Act, among other things, prohibits donations to parties by foreign governments or agencies, foreign persons or entities, organs of state or state-owned enterprises.
In a statement released on Monday, the IEC said it was seeking a postponement on the basis that the latest regulations curtail political activities imperilling the freeness and fairness of the elections.
The polls were contested by 77 candidates representing 14 political parties along with 18 independent candidates.
The bill could see even more politicians serving in municipal councils and provincial legislatures.
The Chapter 9 institution is anticipating its budget from government to be trimmed by R130 million in the next financial year, a move that is likely to have an impact on its ability to carry out the upcoming local government elections.
