Local government hopefuls warned to keep Covid-19 protocols

POLITICAL parties and independent candidates planning on campaigning for the local government elections must follow the strict Covid-19 protocols, as the country prepares to go to the polls on November 1.

Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma announced the new date for the election at a media briefing yesterday.

Dlamini Zuma said the government could have chosen the originally proclaimed day of October 27, but the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said it needed as much time as possible to prepare for the elections.

“These elections are important in advancing our young democracy.

“They mark the 21st anniversary since the establishment of a democratic local government system in our country.

“This sphere of government remains the hope of our people, as the sphere closest to them, and is in the coalface of service delivery,” Dlamini Zuma said.

The minister also undertook to abide by the Constitutional Court decision to set aside the election proclamation she had previously made. The Constitutional Court last week ordered the IEC to hold local government elections on any day between October 27 and November 1 this year.

The Constitutional Court dismissed the urgent application made by the IEC, seeking to postpone the 2021 local government elections last month.

The Concourt further instructed the IEC to hold a special voter registration weekend set for September 18 and 19.