SA will go to the polls on November 1

South Africans will cast their votes in the local government elections on November 1, co-operative governance minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced on Wednesday.

Here is what she said: 

She made the announcement at a briefing after consultation with the SA Electoral Commission (IEC).

“We have come to the determination that this year’s government elections will be held on November 1 2021. This is in accordance with the constitution, read with the Municipal Structures Act, as the act prescribes that the elections must be held within 90 days from the end of the five-year term of the government,” she said.

The decision comes after the Constitutional Court dismissed the IEC bid to postpone the elections until next year, as per the recommendation of former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke. The court said the election must be held between October 27 and November 1.

A voter-registration weekend will take place on September 18 and 19.

Explaining why the first-gazetted date of October 27 was not retained, Dlamini-Zuma said: “We could have chosen the originally proclaimed day but we have chosen the most outer date as the IEC indicated that it will need as much time as possible to prepare for the elections.”

She said the election date would be officially proclaimed on September 20, after the registration weekend.

“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 coal face of service delivery,” she said.

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