POLITICS

Electoral Court grants postponement of March by-elections – IEC

Commission says level 3 lockdown restrictions prohibit political activities

Electoral Commission on postponement of March by-elections due to Coronavirus COVID-19 level 3 lockdown restrictions

9 February 2021

The Electoral Court has authorised the postponement of by-elections scheduled to be held during March due to the continued COVID-19 level 3 lockdown restrictions which prohibit political activities.

This brings to 24 the number of ward by-elections which have been postponed since the start of 2021 due to the second COVID-19 wave and its associated restrictions.

The Electoral Commission approached the Electoral Court for approval to extend the period within which the by-elections scheduled to be held on 3 March 2021 and 31 March 2021, to a date not beyond 120 days from the date of the Court Order.

The Electoral Court on 4 February 2021 authorised the postponement of the following by-elections:

Original by-election date

Province

Municipality

Ward/s

Registered voters

3 March

Eastern Cape

EC135 - IntsikaYethu

17

3 353

 

Eastern Cape

EC154 - Port St Johns

09

3 469

 

Eastern Cape

EC157 - King SabataDalindyebo

43

5 716

 

Eastern Cape

NMA - Nelson Mandela Bay

17

7 011

 

KwaZulu-Natal

KZN282 - uMhlathuze

15

6 442

 

Mpumalanga

MP312 - Emalahleni

33

4 749

31 March

KwaZulu-Natal

KZN262 - uPhongolo

14

3 881

 

KwaZulu-Natal

KZN282 - uMhlathuze

22; 30

9 785

 

Limpopo

LIM367 - Mogalakwena

23

5 718

Total:

4 provinces

9 municipalities

10 wards

50 124

All these by-elections have now been rescheduled for 19 May 2021 along with those by-elections which had previously been postponed as announced in a media release on 11 January 2021 as follows:

Original by-election date

Province

Municipality

Ward/s

Registered voters

20 January

Gauteng

EKU - Ekurhuleni

43

17 886

 

KwaZulu-Natal

KZN242 - Nqutu

11

5 742

 

Mpumalanga

MP325 - Bushbuckridge

21

6 609

3 February

Free State

FS194 - Maluti a Phofung

25

4 330

 

Gauteng

JHB - City of Johannesburg

7 & 17

37 953

 

Limpopo

LIM344 - Makhado

38

5 681

 

Limpopo

LIM476 - FetakgomoTubatse

13

6 451

17 February

Eastern Cape

EC441 - Matatiele

11

3 813

 

Gauteng

TSH - Tshwane Metro

3; 58; 88; 92

55 988

 

KwaZulu-Natal

ETH - eThekwini

110

19 291

Total:

6 provinces

10 municipalities

14 wards

163 744

Issued by Kate Bapela on behalf of IEC, 9 February 2021