The Electoral Commission welcomes the decisions of the Electoral Court to postpone eight by-elections scheduled for today Wednesday 30 June 2021.

The Electoral Court this morning authorised the postponement of the by-elections for a period not exceeding 120 days from the date of the order. The Court also granted the Electoral Commission leave to approach the Court for further relief should it be necessary.

The Electoral Commission took the decision to seek the court’s approval to postpone the by-elections this week following the implementation of level 4 lockdown restrictions which prohibit almost all public gatherings including political gatherings.

The Electoral Commission will continue to assess the prevailing conditions including the level and scope of restrictions imposed in terms of the Disaster Management Act to determine an appropriate date for the by-elections to be held. The Electoral Commission will engage with the relevant provincial MECs for Cooperative Governance and other key stakeholders including political parties and candidates who are registered to contest the by-elections in this regard.

Today’s by-elections were to have taken place in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu–Natal, Northern Cape and Western Cape across 48 voting stations and involving 71 305 registered voters. They were to have been contested by forty (40) candidates from fourteen (14) political parties, and three (3) independent candidates.

The eight postponed by-elections are as follows:

Eastern Cape:

Ward 03 in the Makana Municipality – EC104

KwaZulu-Natal:

Ward 98 in the eThekwini Municipality – ETH

Ward 05 in the eDumbe Municipality – KZN261

Northern Cape:

Ward 01 in the Sol Plaatje Municipality – NC091

Western Cape:

Ward 51 in the City of Cape Town Municipality – CPT

Ward 63 in the City of Cape Town Municipality – CPT

Ward 01 in the Cederberg Municipality –WC012

Ward 02 in the Swartland Municipality –WC015

Statement issued by Kate Bapela, Independent Electoral Commission, 30 June 2021