IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo outlines the commission's roadmap towards the local governement election.
@IECSouthAfrica/X
The IEC anticipates more than 100 000 candidates for the 4 November elections,with only 10 000 seats available across 257 South African municipalities.The election timetable will be finalised after the Cogta minister proclaims the elections,expected around 7 August.The IEC emphasised impartiality and collaboration with traditional leaders to ensure free,fair,and transparent elections.The Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) is anticipating that the number of candidates standing for election in the 4 November polls could surpass the 100 000 mark.
This means about 90 000 candidates seeking election will not make it as the IEC has only 10 000 available seats in the 257 municipalities across South Africa.
This is according to IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo,who addressed Royal Leaders of South Africa (Rolesa) at a consultation session at the Southern Sun Hotel,OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday.
Mamabolo said this was especially so because the IEC has to declare 10 000 candidates.
ADVERTISEMENT
“This means you will have 90 000 people who are disappointed and very upset because no one loves to lose,and it’s just a human dynamic. No one is happy when they have lost,” Mamabolo said.
READ | Pali Lehohla slams SA leaders: ‘Run a census on idiots in power’
Mamabolo also showed royal leaders the roadmap for the upcoming election. The roadmap had no dates set in stone because the IEC has yet to publish the election timetable.
The timetable will likely be published after the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister,Velenkosini Hlabisa,gazettes or proclaims the election.
ADVERTISEMENT
Mamabolo said it was anticipated that this would be done around 7 August.
According to Mamabolo’s roadmap,the proclamation of the elections will also see the final candidate lists compiled by the end of August.
Some political parties have objected to the proposed increase in electoral deposit fees for the upcoming election. One such party was Bantu Holomisa’s UDM,which wrote to Mamabolo in May.
It’s unclear to what extent the deposit fees have increased. Briefly commenting on the matter,Mamabolo told delegates that the IEC had received an offer from a political party to provide goats in lieu of the deposit fees. Mamabolo later told News24 that he had made the comment in jest.
IEC clarifies that it does not support any political party
IEC vice chairperson Janet Love said the commission did not regard traditional leadership and electoral democracy as competing systems in any shape or form.
“We do not believe that one has greater legitimacy than another. On the contrary,we believe that every effort must be made to ensure that the complementarity that was envisaged in our Constitution is something that we can seek and achieve and fulfil traditional leadership derives its authority from custom,from culture,and also from the enduring confidence that the communities that it serves have in that traditional leadership,” Love said.
IEC Consultation with ROLESA
[WATCH] IEC CEO,Sy Mamabolo.
The IEC wishes to advise the public that the deadline for the submission of public comments on the proposed Electoral Code of Conduct on Disinformation has been extended to Wednesday,29 July 2026.#ROLESA #IEC pic.twitter.com/2M9ZyaXbtK
— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) July 23,2026
She said representative government derived its authority from the freely expressed will of the people through regular,free and fair elections.
She added:
These are complementary pillars of our constitutional democracy. So when we approach this engagement as the commission,we see this as one constitutional institution,the Electoral Commission,meeting another constitutional institution.
Love further said the commission approached the royal leaders as partners.
She said their objective was simple.
“We want every eligible voter to be registered and then to be able to participate freely,safely,and conveniently. But equally important is that every political contestant,however many there are,must have confidence that the process is impartial,that there’s transparency,and there’s professionalism.”
ADVERTISEMENT
She said the commission was not part of the contest.
“The commission is not favouring any party or candidate. We are there to protect the integrity of the process,but likewise,our appeal to you,our partners,is to help us to do the same.”
United News - unews.co.za