By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with sabcnews.com
Published on 2024-01-17 18:30:49
The issue of signature requirements for the 2024 elections is causing controversy, with independent candidates needing 1000 signatures to contest and unrepresented political parties needing 15% of the regional seat quotas from the previous election in the respective region. However, this may change as the matter is currently before the Constitutional Court, with think tank Rivonia Circle and Build One South Africa challenging the equalization of signature requirements for new political parties or those not represented in the provincial legislatures and the National Assembly.
While independent candidates have been relieved of the signature requirements for this year’s polls, newly formed political parties and those not in the National Assembly or provincial legislatures are still facing uncertainty. The Constitutional Court has yet to decide whether such political parties will need a minimum of approximately 11,000 signatures in sparsely populated provinces like the Northern Cape and around 15,000 in densely populated provinces like Gauteng.
The matter is still pending before the courts, with the IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo stating that there is another pending matter related to signatures for unrepresented political parties, and that the signature portal must be open so that parties can start capturing, even as the matter is before the courts.
The litigation is a matter of concern for the electoral commission, as it could increase the complexity of electoral administration and the number of contestants, ultimately impacting the voter’s experience and the time needed for ballot paper printing.
Those bringing the matter before the court argue that the signature requirement constitutes a stifling of voting rights in South Africa, and their litigation aims to achieve equalization, as the Constitutional Court found for independent candidates.
While the matter is being deliberated in the courts, the IEC has committed to leave open its platform for unrepresented political parties to submit their signatures, ensuring that no party is prejudiced should the court decline to amend the signature requirement.
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