Voter registration can’t happen without reopening candidate registration, says Duarte

African National Congress (ANC) acting secretary-general Jessie Duarte has again defended the Independent Electoral Commission’s decision to reopen the councillor candidates’ registration process ahead of the municipal elections.

Duarte said the IEC wouldn’t be able to proceed with a voter registration drive without reopening registrations.

This because candidates contesting the polls are also registered voters. Duarte was speaking on the election campaign trail in Cape Town on Thursday.

She said the reopening of the registration process couldn’t happen without parties being able to resubmit candidates.

The IEC’s decision was seen as the commission throwing the ANC a lifeline to make up for the party failing to register its candidates in 93 municipalities by the August cut-off date.

Duarte has also hit back at the DA for challenging the commission’s decision in the Constitutional Court, a move which has also been slammed by lobby group Freedom Under Law.

“We really find it very disgusting, that the DA will try to besmirch the name of the IEC by suggesting that the ICC was playing favorites with the ANC, this is a legal matter. It’s both a legal and constitutional matter and it is said that the DA tries to make it a matter between the ANC and somebody else,” Duarte said.

-EWN

In other news – Minnie Dlamini and hubby Quinton almost broke up – Marriage is not easy

Media personality Minnie Dlamini-Jones and her husband, Quinton Jones, are celebrating their fourth anniversary in marriage.

Without going into detail, she said marriage was not easy, mentioning that many times before, they had both wanted to quit but their promise kept them together. On Thursday, she took to social media to celebrate the milestone. Learn More