The Electoral Commission has extended the closing time for the submission of candidate nomination lists to 9pm.

The initial deadline was set for 5pm today.

“Political parties and independent candidates intending to contest the Local Government Elections scheduled for 27 October 2021 have until 9pm today to submit their nominations and prescribed election deposits.

“In terms of the election timetable, the cut-off date is Monday, 23 August 2021,” the Electoral Commission said in a statement.

Prescribed election deposits, which are also due today, are as follows:

(a) R3 500 in respect of an election in a metropolitan municipality;

(b) R2 000 in respect of an election in a local municipality with wards;

(c) R1 000 in respect of an election in a district municipality; and

(d) R1 000 in respect of an election in a single ward for independent candidates and political parties not contesting for PR election in that municipality.

“Failure to make payment for election deposits on 23 August 2021 will result in automatic disqualification of the party or independent candidate affected. Failure to pay deposits on due date is incapable of being remedied through a non-compliance procedure,” the Electoral Commission said.

The Commission will refund to a party any deposit paid if the party is allocated at least a seat in the municipal council it is contesting.

Similarly, an independent candidate who receives at least 10% of the total number of votes cast in the ward election will have the deposit refunded.

“Only registered political parties may contest elections of municipal councils by way of party lists. Currently, there are 480 registered parties, of which 298 are registered on a national level, which entitles the affected parties to contest any municipal council in the country. The balance of 182 parties are registered at a district or metropolitan level.

“This level of registration allows the affected parties to contest any local council within the district, whilst the metropolitan level allows for contestation within the relevant metropolitan municipality of registration,” the Commission said.

To date, 97 political parties and 353 independent candidates have either captured their nominations or have submitted nominations.

Parties and independent candidates may submit their documents online at http://www.elections.org.za or visit a designated local office of the Commission.

The list of the designated offices is available on the website.

“The Electoral Commission will have until Friday, 27 August, to notify political parties and independent candidates of any non-compliance in respect of outstanding documents.

“Thereafter, the Electoral Commission will have until 31 August to notify parties of any candidates appearing on multiple party lists. The affected parties will have until 5pm on 2 September to decide whether to remove such candidate and order their lists,” the IEC said.

The final list of candidates will be certified and published on 7 September 2021.

Source: South African Government News Agency