The IEC has accepted the findings of a report that has suggested that the municipal elections be postponed to next year.
IEC inquiry chairperson, former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke, said that it was not possible that the elections scheduled for October would be free and fair. He said that COVID-19 restrictions would not only affect political parties and their campaigning efforts but also voters.
There were mixed responses from political parties with concerns that the polls on 27 October would be disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The municipal election is scheduled for late October, though issues around a potential postponement have been the subject of a special commission of inquiry.
'The opinion from health experts who indicate that the whole of July is likely to be a period of high infection as well as the impact that the pandemic has had on the preparations for the general registration weekend,' IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo said.
People under 35 constitute more than a third of eligible voters in the country, which makes them a hot commodity for politicians ahead of local government elections this year.
A formal proclamation of the 27 October date for local government elections must still be made by CoGTA Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and President Ramaphosa said it would be up to the IEC to decide if the elections will go ahead.
To date, staff have confirmed the address details of more than 24 million South Africans who are eligible to vote but IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabalo is hoping to build on this as they begin their mobilisation campaign.
Both the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have made similar pleas on the basis of safety fears in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With COVID-19 top of mind, the Independent Electoral Commission has given an update on preparations ahead of local government elections in October.
Although the commission said that it was confident about its ability to carry out the polls, former Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke has been requested to urgently review all relevant factors, including legal and socio-political.
Speaking at a briefing in Centurion, the IEC's chairperson Glen Mashinini said that they were satisfied that it was possible to conduct elections under the current circumstances.
Herman Mashaba's party, Action SA, has released a billboard with names and faces of various political party leaders with labels such as criminal, crook and fraud next to their names. He said that the refusal by media houses to flight the billboard amounted to censorship.
The Voter Management Device, or VMD, also has the ability to capture an address during registration and to verify the address against ward boundaries.
Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said there was strict criteria for volunteers and officials that does not include being a Sadtu member.
Usually, the IEC holds two registration weekends just ahead of polling day, however, the commission said that it took the decision due to budget constraints.
Speaking at the Freedom Day celebrations in Botshabelo in the Free State on Tuesday, the president spoke against the many challenges facing citizens as a result of problems in the local government sphere.
The president was reacting to calls by some opposition parties, including the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), who said that the elections had the potential to be a COVID-19 super-spreader event if held this year.
