Work is being done to ensure that independent candidates can contest national and municipal elections, says Home Affairs Minister, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi.
“Preparatory work is taking place in the department to make sure that we don’t miss this opportunity,” said the Minister on Wednesday.
The Minister said this as he delivered the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) budget vote speech during a virtual debate.
His comments follow last month’s ruling by the Constitutional Court declaring parts of the Electoral Act unconstitutional.
The highest court in the land ruled that the act was unconstitutional in requiring that only candidates of political parties contest national and provincial elections.
At the time, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) which is an entity of the DHA, welcomed the clarity provided to the interpretation of the rights of citizens to stand for public office.
The court provided Parliament with 24 months to revise the legislation.
During the budget vote, Motsoaledi said the ruling party is committed to make the necessary arrangement for the constitutional court ruling to be honoured.
Giving a further update of the IEC’s work, the Minister said the Commision is in the process of procuring new devices for use in the registration process as well as on Election Day. This as the country is due to hold Local Government Elections in 2021.
This, according to the minister, will prevent allegations of double voting being made during the elections.
“This is a matter of national policy and is hence in the purview of the National Legislature and not the IEC. The political parties must make a decision on this matter; the sooner the better. This equipment has nothing to do with electronic voting as some people may think. The equipment will only serve to verify the voters roll on elections day,” the minister said.
Minister Motsoaledi said given the ongoing COVID- pandemic, the Commission is working out modalities of possible electronic registration of voters.
“This is a necessary development to minimise the number of people at the registration stations whilst increasing the number of registered voters. Once the exploratory work is complete the commission will provide the details to the country,” Minister Motsoaledi said.
Last week, the Home Affairs Portfolio Committee urged the IEC to move with speed to update the details of 9% of voters with incomplete or without addresses listed on the voters’ roll in line with the 2016 Constitutional Court
“I wish to report to you that the commission has worked very hard around the clock. Out of the 26.5 million registered voters, 24 million now have complete addresses on the voters roll,” the Minister said.
Extension of validity of legal permits
Minister Motsoaledi told Parliament that the DHA will extend all permits and visas that were due to expire in the COVID-19 lockdown from 31 July 2020 to 31 October 2020.
“I will be signing a Government Gazette to amend the Regulations to provide for this in a short while but definitely before the 31st of July,” the minister said.
Fighting Corruption
With regard to corruption, Minister Motsoaledi said the department is working to fight bribery, fraud and corruption.
“These are the terrible triplets which we have to fight each and every single day. Acts of bribery, fraud and corruption bedevil the Department,” the minister said.
Border Management Authority
Motsoaledi said his department will start work on implementing the Border Management Authority Act which was recently signed into law by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The Border Management Authority Bill will pave the way for government to set up a single authority to manage the country’s ports of entry.
The new Border Management Authority will, as an objective of the Act, replace the current challenge of different agencies and organs of government all playing different roles in managing aspects of border control.
The integrated Authority will contribute to the socio-economic development of the Republic and ensure effective and efficient border law enforcement functions at ports of entry and borders.
“We have continued to offer access to essential enabling documents to our people in their time of need,” Minister Motsoaledi said.
The Minister said the department has also been providing back end ID number authentication to help government to pay Social Relief of Distress grants and Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) payments to the correct people.– SAnews.gov.za
