KZN COGTA IN COURT TO HALT BY-ELECTIONS
KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi is seeking a court order to halt by-elections until after the general elections.
According to the Municipal Structures Act, Sithole-Moloi should call for by-elections within 90 days of a municipal ward becoming vacant.
However, given that SitholeMoloi has not adhered to the time-frames stipulated in the act due to the fact that calling for the by-elections would have brought the date of the by-elections closer to the general elections, and noting the pressure placed on both the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and the government ahead of next month's elections, she approached the Pietermaritzburg High Court to seek condonation. In court papers, Sithole-Moloi cited the IEC and the province’s political parties, including the ANC, IFP and DA as respondents.
The IEC provincial electoral officer, Ntombifuthi Masinga, said the electoral body would not oppose Sithole-Moloi’s application. “We are aware and shared the developments with all political parties last week. We won’t oppose and will abide by the court ruling,” she said.
The ANC in KZN supported Sithole-Moloi’s decision.
“As the ANC in KZN we are alive to the enormous task which the IEC has to undertake in the upcoming general elections. We want the IEC to focus on the elections and don’t want to hear stories about the IEC failing to print or deliver ballots.
“What this court action does is to ensure that the IEC is not sidetracked by other matters such as by-elections.
Also, the Cogta MEC’s decision will allow political parties to focus on the most important general elections,” ANC provincial spokesperson Mafika Mndebele said.
ActionSA provincial chairperson, Zwakele Mncwango, said the party will not be affected by the Cogta MEC’s application.
“As ActionSA in KZN, our focus at the moment is on the general elections, and not on the by-elections,” she said.
The Pietermaritzburg High Court is set to hear SitholeMoloi’s application this week. • clive.ndou@witness.co.za