POLITICS - The Electoral Commission has urged all South Africans to take part in ongoing public consultations on the feasibility of introducing electronic voting (e-voting) in the future.
Public consultations are taking place across all provinces to ensure inclusive and wide-reaching engagement on the policy document.
“We invite South Africans to submit their views, proposals, and concerns on this important matter. Submissions should be sent to the email address evoting@elections.org.za by no later than the end of September,” says the Electoral Commission’s chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo.
He says following the conclusion of the consultation process, the commission will integrate the comments into the discussion document to produce a green paper.
The green paper will then be presented to the minister of Home Affairs to process through the relevant constitutional structures.
He noted that the commission has not yet decided on adopting e-voting.
“The current physical ballot papers will be used in the impending municipal elections, as there is no official national policy and legislative framework on e-voting,” says Mamabolo.
He adds that since the 2024 General Election, the commission has registered 34 new political parties. Thirteen of these have been registered since July.
The total number of registered political parties now stands at 472.
“Of these, 287 are registered on a national level, while the balance of 185 are either registered provincially or on the district or metro municipal level,” he says.
He says political contestants remain critical in the planning phase.
“The commission will convene a series of information sessions starting in November with registered but unrepresented political parties and aspiring independent candidates in preparation for the upcoming elections. The sessions in November will mark the beginning of formal consultations with key stakeholders,” he says.
Mamabolo also called on corporate South Africa to donate to the Multi-Party Democracy Fund (MPDF).
“Supporting the MPDF helps to foster a vibrant democracy and amplify diverse political voices. The Electoral Commission is in the process of preparing a report highlighting key recommendations for consideration by Parliament,” he says.
Mamabolo noted the recent amendment to the regulations on political party funding in South Africa.
“The revised regulations were promulgated by the president on August 18. Under the revised rules, the minimum disclosure threshold has increased from R100 000 to R200 000, while the maximum allowable annual donation has risen from R15m to R30m in a financial year,” he says. – SAnews.gov.za
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