The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has confirmed that it has asked the Constitutional Court for more time to comply with a judgement that it must have the names and addresses of those on the voters’ roll before they can be allowed to vote.
In court papers filed last week, the IEC asked for an extension of a further 17 months – from 30 June 2018 to 29 November 2019 – to comply with an earlier Constitutional Court order on fixing the voters roll.
The IEC could be forced to remove over a million people (from the roll), should the Court fail to grant it an extension.
IEC Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo could not say if this would have a direct implications for the General Elections scheduled for next year.
“We asking the court for an extension of 17 months, we think with the plans that we have, and the additional work we still need to do, justifies the request for a 17 month extension.”
“On one hand it is an extension, on the other, it’s a legislative amendment proposal, for a kind of provision that deals with those who don’t have an address on the voters roll. So when those people come to vote, they first have to furnish the voting officials with their address or particulars of the place where they reside,” Mamabolo says.
