Independent and political party candidates lists available for inspection

The Electoral Commission (IEC) will today and tomorrow between 09:00 and 17:00 make the lists with the names of independent and political party candidates available for inspection at its national office, at all its nine provincial offices and at local municipal offices.

Parties intending to contest the elections had until 17:00 on Monday to revise their lists and inform the commission if they had nominated candidates who also appeared on the list of another party or who were nominated as independent candidates.

In all, there were 42 candidates appearing on more than one party list implicating 39 parties. Furthermore, one candidate was nominated as an independent candidate and also appeared on a list of a party.

“The focus in the evolving candidate nomination process shifts to a period within which interested persons may inspect the lists of candidates and raise objections against candidates.

“To this end, the Commission will today and tomorrow, between 09:00 and 17:00 make the lists with the names of independent and political party candidates available for inspection at its national office, and in all its nine provincial offices and in local municipal offices.

“Copies of the documents accompanying the lists are available for inspection at the commission’s national office between 09:00 and 17:00,” said the commission in a statement.

In all, 14 662 candidates have been nominated to contest the 887 seats available in the National Assembly and the nine legislatures. The spread of the candidates is as follows:

• 4 323 candidates have been nominated to contest the compensatory seats in the National Assembly (contested by parties only),
• 3 596 candidates have been nominated to contest the regional seats in the National Assembly (contested by party candidates and independents) and
• 6 743 candidates have been nominated to contested seats in the provincial legislatures (contested by party candidates and independents).

The biggest ballot paper will contain 56 contestants. This is the ballot for the compensatory seats in the National Assembly. The biggest regional election ballot will be in the Gauteng region with 40 political parties and 2 independent candidates.

Similarly, the biggest ballot in respect of provincial legislature elections will be in Gauteng with 42 political parties and 2 independent candidates.

Seven independent candidates will contest the regional elections and six will contest the provincial legislature elections. The region with the most number of independent candidates is the Limpopo region with three candidates.

Any person may object to the nomination of a candidate. Such objections must be lodged with the commission by 17:00 on 27 March 2024.

An objection may be raised on the basis that an independent candidate or nominating party has failed to submit the signed prescribed acceptance of nomination or that there is no signed prescribed undertaking, that the candidate is bound by the electoral code of conduct, the commission said.

An objection may be on the basis that a candidate is not qualified to stand in the election. In this regard section 47 and 106 of the Constitution are instructive.

The sections provide that every citizen who is qualified to vote for the National Assembly is eligible to be a member of the Assembly, except:

(a) Anyone who is appointed by, or is in the service of the state and receives remuneration for that appointment or service

(b) Permanent delegates to the National Council of Provinces or members of a provincial legislature or a Municipal Council

(c) Unrehabilitated insolvents

(d) Anyone declared to be of unsound mind by a court of the Republic or,

(e) Anyone who, after this section took effect, is convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine, either in the Republic, or outside the Republic if the conduct constituting the offence would have been an offence in the Republic, but no one may be regarded as having been sentenced until an appeal against the conviction or sentence has been determined, or until the time for an appeal has expired. A disqualification under this paragraph ends five years after the sentence has been completed.

The commission will decide the objections by 28 March 2024. The objector, registered party or nominated candidate may appeal against the decision of the Commission to the Electoral Court by 2 April 2024.

The final list of candidates contesting the elections will be published by the Commission on 10 April 2024.

Voters are reminded that they may only vote at a voting station in which they are registered.

Voters who will unavoidably be away from their voting districts on Election Day may give notice of their intention to vote at another identified voting station by 17 May 2024. – SAnews.gov.za