The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) notes President Cyril Ramaphosa’ signing of the Electoral Amendment Act into law.
COSATU believes that the Electoral Amendment Act meets the directive set by the Constitutional Court judgement to provide for independent candidates to contest the 2024 national and provincial elections. The amendment of the electoral laws are complex matters and need to be handled with care and sensitivity, more so given the political diversity of South Africa’s electorate and our historical context.
The minimalist approach of the Electoral Amendment Act is a correct one as it meets the requirements of the Constitutional Court judgement, retains the positive aspects of the existing proportional representation system and allows for independents to stand for Parliament and the Provincial Legislatures.
South Africa’s body politic is evolving as the nation matures. Consequently, the electoral legislative framework will need to be reflected upon and revised from time to time as the situation necessitates. This is a journey that needs to be handled with the necessary sobriety and thought to avoid rash decisions that may leave voters and large parts of society behind.
Now that the President has signed the Act into law, it is critical that the IEC and Home Affairs put in place all the necessary measures and resources to ensure that the 2024 elections take place smoothly. This includes undertaking the necessary voter education and ensuring that all voters have their IDs and are able to register, in particular first-time voters and the youth. It will also require undertaking the necessary training of political parties and aspirant independent candidates. South Africa’s elections have always been well run and met the constitutional requirements of being free and fair. With our myriad of self-inflected challenges, we cannot afford to break this tradition with any moment of recklessness in 2024.
Issued by COSATU
For further information please contact:
Matthew Parks
Parliamentary Coordinator
Cell: 082 785 0687
Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za