President Cyril Ramaphosa urged not to sign the Electoral Amendment Bill
Defend our Democracy and various other civil society organisations have called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to not sign the Electoral Amendment Bill in its current form that parliament will vote on later this month.
The Bill comes from the June 2020 Constitutional Court judgment that ruled that independent candidates can stand for elections at a national and provincial level.
Following the apex court’s judgment, a ministerial advisory committee was appointed by the Minister of Home Affairs, Dr. Aaron Motswaledi, to advise him on the best route to take when amending the Electoral Act.
The Majority report proposes a mixed constituency and a proportional system as a basis for electoral reform. However, the current minority report which parliament has endorsed favours the current political system and not the independents.
Rivonia Circle’s Lukhona Mnguni says, “The minority report was basically saying independent candidates can participate but the constituency is a province, that means if you are an independent candidate and you are in KwaZulu-Natal, you must fight for votes in Kokstad as much as you must fight for votes in Mangozi. The second issue was the issue of cooling off periods whether you’ve left a political party, what should happen to you if you want to contest as an independent candidate? The third issue is the signatures, the threshold, and what number will it take for an independent candidate to contest in elections. ”
The Court gave Parliament till June of this year to amend the Act, but further granted it an extension to finalise the Bill by the end of December.
However, experts warn if the Bill is passed it may put the watershed 2024 elections at risk and even result in it being legally challenged.
Source: eNCA
In other news – Qwabe Twins announce their first Live concert
Qwabe Twins announces their first Live concert. The two singers who had their major breakthrough into the SA music industry two years ago are set to host their first live concert in November, Durban.
Taking to social media on Tuesday, they shared the flier of the show and details on getting tickets. Learn more
