Pretoria – The Electoral Commission will hold municipal ward by-elections in six provinces on 9 November 2016.
The by-elections will take place in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga and Western Cape, following the death and resignations of councillors.
The Electoral Commission said 15 wards will be contested, covering 80 voting districts currently containing 93 145 registered voters.
In terms of the Constitutional Court ruling of 14 June 2016, the Electoral Commission is required to implement Section 16 (3) of the Electoral Act, which requires that voters’ rolls should contain the address of voters “where available” for all by-elections following the 2016 Municipal Elections.
The Electoral Commission urged registered voters to ensure their addresses are available and up to date in the coming week via SMS, pamphlet drops and outreach activities in the affected wards.
“All voting stations in the affected wards will be open on 17 - 18 September 2016 from 8am to 5pm to allow voters the opportunity to verify and update their registration and address details. Voters may also check and update their details at their local IEC office during office hours.
“Special voting at voting stations as well as home visits will take place on 8 November 2016 between 8am and 5pm. Voters interested in casting a special vote can apply at their local IEC office during office hours from 24 - 28 October 2016,” Electoral Commission said.
By-elections will be held in the following wards/voting districts:
Eastern Cape: Ward 17 in EC121 Mbhashe Municipality, Ward 11 in EC129 Nkonkobe/Nxuba Municipality, Ward 7 in EC154 Port St Johns Municipality, Ward 26 in the EC443 Mbizana Municipality, Ward 4 in NMA - Nelson Mandela Bay, Ward 14 in NMA - Nelson Mandela Bay.
KwaZulu-Natal: Ward 1 in KZN214 – Umuziwabantu, Ward 20 in KZN238 - Ladysmith/Waaihoek, Ward 6 in KZN252 – Newcastle.
Limpopo: Ward 2 in LIM345 – New Municipality, Ward 10 in LIM354 – Polokwane.
Mpumalanga: Ward 7 in MP301 - Chief Albert Luthuli, Ward 6 in MP311 - Victor Khanye.
Northern Cape: Ward 2 in NC086 – Kgatelopele.
Western Cape: Ward 108 in CPT - City of Cape Town.
For more information on the by-elections, including special votes, voters can contact their local Municipal Electoral Officer during office hours. Contact details for Municipal Electoral Officers are available on the IEC website at www.elections.org.za under Contact Us. – SAnews.gov.za
