Who can contest elections?

CAN CIVIL society groups and nonprofit organisation (NPOs) throw their hats in the ring and contest the elections in 2024?

Not according to the Electoral Act, which is undergoing some changes in Parliament including the inclusion of independent candidates into the proportional representative system of the provincial and national elections.

In 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that Electoral Act 73 of 1998 was unconstitutional as it stipulates that adult citizens may be elected to the National Assembly and provincial legislatures only through their membership of political parties.

Researcher at My Vote Counts Letlhogonolo

Letshele said if a civil society group or a registered NPO, such as the Rivonia Circle, wanted to contest in the elections, it would have to either register as a political party or field an independent candidate.

Letshele said: “We saw a rise in communities contesting. Independent candidates already exist at local government elections. People are tired of voting for political parties; we have seen a number of communities fielding candidates, including in Makhanda in Grahamstown.

“We are seeing a trend where people are putting up someone to contest. This means there is an appetite for an alternative. Come 2024 there is a possibility we might see a rise in independent candidates and this (electoral) act is coming at the right time where people are starting to favour independent candidates,” Letshele said.

Though Rivonia Circle’s Songezo Zibi was tipped to have put up his hand up to run for president in 2024, Zibi poured cold water on this.

Zibi said Rivonia Circle would instead focus on deepening democratic participation, influencing policy, and leadership training.

Zibi also said he was of the view that independents candidates contesting elections “was not going to work”.

“The formula doesn’t work, if your constituency is a province and as a political party you win 200 000 votes you get four seats minimum and if your are an independent you get one seat, what is the point, what happens to the other 150 000 votes? They are in limbo and it is a waste of votes.”