Political parties have until 5pm on Thursday 2 June 2016 to submit their list of nominations for ward candidates, proportional representation candidates and district council candidates.
Political parties have until 5pm on Thursday 2 June 2016 to submit their list of nominations for ward candidates, proportional representation candidates and district council candidates.
The announcement by the Electoral Commission comes hours after the DA revealed the name of their confidential candidate for Makana, Mlindi Nhanha, at a press briefing this morning, and as the ANC's provincial list committee presents candidates to the party's national list committee.
The 2016 Municipal Elections have been proclaimed by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs David van Rooyen.
This triggers the official election timetable which the Electoral Commission today published in a special Government Gazette. The timetable spans the next 72 days and lays down the key dates and deadlines for various milestones until Election Day on 3 August 2016.
The first action of the proclamation is to close the voters’ roll for the election.
In a media release today, the Electoral Commission said this means no new applicants may be admitted to the voters’ roll, including additional registrations or re-registrations. The certification of the voters’ roll for the 2016 Municipal Elections takes place on 31 May 2016.
Proclamation also triggers the opening of candidate nominations for the elections.
Political parties have until 5pm on Thursday 2 June 2016 to submit their list of nominations for ward candidates, proportional representation candidates and district council candidates.
Nominations for independent candidates to contest ward elections must also been submitted by 5pm on Thursday 2 June 2016.
DA councillor candidate for Makana Municipality, Mlindi Nhanha, was introduced at a press briefing held earlier today in Port Elizabeth.
Nhanha has held leadership positions in organisations including Cosas, Alice Student Congress (Asco), Border Student Congress (Borsco), South African Youth Congress (Sayco), the ANC Youth League and the ANC.
He then joined Cope and served as a Member of Parliament in the National Assembly from 2009 to 2014.
Midway through his term as an MP, Nhanha entered discussions with the DA about joining them.
"My political journey has been long and diverse but has remained consistently rooted in the values of freedom, fairness and opportunity espoused by the DA today," Nhanha said today.
"South Africa was making progress under the ANC but that progress has stalled.
"Today I know, as I did in the early 1980s, that it is once again time for change. I believe in my heart of hearts that the DA is the only party that can bring the change necessary to move South Africa forward again.
"I look forward to being part of a dynamic and experienced DA team in Makana Municipality."
Meanwhile ANC Secretary for the Sarah Baartman region Scara Njadayi said ANC processes to confirm candidates for the 3 August election were still under way.
"As we speak, the provincial list committee is presenting to the national list committee," Njadayi said this afternoon.
"The next step is the verification of candidates by the branches. Once the branches have confirmed the candidates, the names will go back to the National List Committee, which will authorise the release of those names to the public."
At the time of publishing this piece, the United Front were not yet in a position to discuss their candidacy.
Cope MP Willie Madisha's recent visit to Grahamstown was part of the process of identifying candidates for that party; however Cope and EFFF candidates for Makana Municipality have not yet been officially announced.
Online nominations
In a first for Africa, the Electoral Commission has launched an Online Candidate Nomination System through which candidate nominations can be submitted electronically for the 2016 Municipal Elections.
A link to THE system is available on the homepage of the Electoral Commission’s website at www.elections.org.za under “2016 Municipal Elections”.
The system is designed to speed up and simplify the process of submitting candidate nomination lists for elections by allowing parties to capture their own information and then submit it electronically via the internet by the deadline.
It includes a payment gateway to facilitate ease of payment.
Independents
While the system is primarily designed for political parties with large numbers of candidates, it is also available for use by independent candidates.
In order to stand for election as an independent candidate in a ward, nominees must be a registered voter in the municipality in which they are contesting.
They must then submit the following documentation:
· A completed nomination form including the signatures of 50 registered voters in the ward they are contesting
· A copy of their ID
· An A5 colour head and shoulders photograph for the ballot paper
· Proof of payment of the election deposit of R1000
Deposits
The following are the proposed deposits payable for contesting the 2016 Municipal Elections:
· Metropolitan councils: R3500
· Local municipal councils: R2000
· District councils: R1000
· Individual ward candidates: R1000
The total cost for a political party to contest all municipal councils is R482 000:
· 8 metros X R3500 = R28 000
· Plus 205 local councils X R2000 = R410 000
· Plus 44 district councils X R1000 = R44 000
Deposits are refunded where at least one candidate is elected to the council.
Should political parties or independent candidates opt to submit nominations manually they may still do so at the local IEC office for the municipality they are contesting during the window period for submissions. Payments for manual submissions must be by bank guaranteed cheque.
A total of 53 757 candidates contested the previous Municipal Elections in 2011 – including 754 independent candidates.
A copy of the full election timetable is available on www.elections.org.za
