The Independent Electoral Commission said there is not enough time to enable independent candidates to participate in the 2024 national election.
The commission’s Mosotho Moepye spoke to the publication on the sidelines of a civil society gathering seeking to improve accountability among public representatives.
Moepye said any changes to the constitution would require a thorough consultation with society – the mapping of constituencies and the general consensus among South Africans.
In June 2020 the Constitutional Court declared the country’s electoral act unconstitutional.
It gave parliament two years to fix it.
But MPs failed to meet the deadline and were given a six-month extension.
Moepye said it would be unrealistic to establish a constituency-based system that will fairly accommodate independent candidates ahead of the 2024 elections.
“You’ve got to first change the constitution, and then we are saying to you upfront there is not enough time in 2024 with that kind of arrangement.”
Moepye said MPs must rather ensure that independent candidates are able to participate in the elections post 2024.
-EWN
In other news – Here’s how Murdah Bongz feels about DJ Zinhle’s relationship with AKA’s mother
DJ Zinhle‘s relationship with her baby daddy’s family, more especially Lynn Forbes, is one that confuses the general public. But Zinhle has maintained that she and Lynn remain very good friends despite having broken up with her son.
In the latest DJ Zinhle: The Unexpected, Zinhle and Murdah discussed her trip to Los Angeles, and whether she would be taking Lynn Forbes with her. Zinhle went to LA with her seven-year-old daughter and her granny Lynn. Learn More
