All systems go for by-elections
The election will be held under strict Covid-19 guidelines to curb the spread of the virus. The wearing of face masks and adhering to social distancing are a must
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said it is more than ready for the by-elections, scheduled to take place in 95 wards across 55 municipalities countrywide tomorrow. Only three municipalities from Mpumalanga will participate. They are Bushbuckridge, eMalahleni and Govan Mbeki local municipalities. “A total of five ward vacancies will be contested by six political parties in the by-elections,” said Sibusiso Nkosi, the IEC communications officer in Mpumalanga.
Read: By-elections to take place in some areas of Mpumalanga
These elections are the first to be held since they were suspended in March because of the Covid-19 outbreak. The chief electoral officer, Sy Mamabolo, said these are a “catch-up” of all by-elections postponed between March and September. More than 20 000 voters have been approved to cast a special vote in the country. Overall, at least 600 000 people are registered to vote in this election. A total of 32 000 of the voters come from Mpumalanga.
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Voting is scheduled to take place between 07:00 and 21:00. Special votes began today. According to the commission, the by-elections are being contested by 40 political parties countrywide with a total of 444 candidates certified as contestants, including 19 independent candidates. Men make up 69 per cent of candidates, with women making up the remaining 31 per cent.
