The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on Monday said the release of the election timetable should not come as a surprise to political parties wanting to contest the May elections.
The electoral body said the targets set out in the election timetable were cast in stone.
“Anyone who is preparing to contest the elections should know that once an election date is proclaimed, the train starts moving because we have an election timetable.
“It is almost like a moving train, you can’t stop it,” commissioner Nomsa Masuku said.
She made the comment during an IEC briefing on its state of readiness for the upcoming 2024 general elections.
There have been reports that some parties are unhappy with the signature requirement to contest elections.
In terms of the legislation, independent candidates are required to submit 1 000 signatures and parties not represented in Parliament or the legislature need to submit 15% signatures of the quota that was in the last election.
Masuku said the portal for capturing signatures has been open since January 26 and contestants had quite some time to begin the process.
“I don’t think it is an excuse to say that the election timetable has caught people by surprise. It should not have caught people by surprise,” she said.
“It is a logical thing that happens once the election is proclaimed. We have an election timetable and once that happens, we have a series of things that happen,” she said.
“They should continue and collect those signatures as earnestly as they can because those targets that are in the election timetable are actually cast in stone.
“The train is moving, let’s move along together,” Masuku said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa proclaimed May 29 as the election date along with the provincial premiers last Friday.
The proclamation has meant that the voters roll is now closed and no further voter registration may take place either at a local office or online.
Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said voter verifications and other validations were currently under way to ensure that there was compliance with the provisions of the law in respect of eligibility to vote.
Mamabolo also said the electoral body conducted a political consultation with political parties represented in the national political liaison committee on the election timetable on Friday and it was published on Saturday.
“Almost all parties were represented at the consultative meeting on Friday where the IEC presented a draft for discussion. That draft was unanimously supported with two amendments,” he said.
According to Mamabolo, the changes related to dates for special votes and notification to vote outside one’s voting station.
“As regards the voting public, the focal point is accessing the voting process through special arrangements, including dates for applications for special votes and notifications to vote outside of voting stations of registration.
“As it pertains to contestants, the timetable is equally crucial in that it contains key dates to be complied with relating to the nomination of candidates and the payment of prescribed deposits.”
Mamabolo said at the last count there were 350 registered parties who can nominate a candidate.
“But as we indicated, the deadline for submission of the list of candidates is on March 8.
“Parties must pay their election deposit and submit a list of candidates and give us a notice every person on the list of candidates is compliant and they are bound by the election timetable,” he said, adding that there was a process to publish candidates lists and raising of objections.
Cape Times