Cape Town – The Electoral Commission (IEC) has finalised the list of candidates for the upcoming elections, with 14 889 candidates set to compete for 887 seats.
“Nominations of candidates closed on 8 March 2024 and following processes of verification and objections, 70 political parties, and 11 independent candidates were published as final contestants in these elections,” IEC Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sy Mamabolo said on Tuesday in Centurion.
The elections are scheduled for May 29, 2024, and will feature 15 political parties contesting at all levels, along with 31 parties participating for the first time.
“Fifteen political parties are contesting all tiers of the elections, which means the compensatory seats in the National Assembly, the nine province-to-national elections, as well as the nine provincial legislatures. A total of 31 political parties will contest the national elections for the first time,” Mamabolo said.
Gender-wise, 58.14% of candidates are male, while 41.86% are female, with various age groups represented.
Logistical supplies
“Candidates in the age category 40 – 49 are the majority at 4 361, followed by the 3 708 in the 50 – 59 age category and 3 406 in the 30 – 39 age group. Candidates who are over 60 stand at 1 924 and those between the ages of 18 and 29 are 1 493.
“Notably, there are 15 candidates, who at 18 years, are also first-time voters. Of the 15, nine are female and six are male. These candidates are spread across eight political parties. There are 17 candidates who are aged 80 years and more. The majority (16) are male candidates, standing for four political parties, leaving only one female candidate in the age category,” the CEO said.
The IEC has completed over 95% of logistical preparations for Election Day and has outlined procedures for special voting arrangements.
“Over 95% percent of logistical supplies for Election Day are already at hand. We are in the process of distributing 1 873 tonnes of material between our different warehousing and storage facilities across the country,” Mamabolo said.
Additionally, voters are reminded to cast their ballots at their designated voting stations or apply for special voting if necessary.
“Applications for special votes, for the purposes of home visits and voting station visits, opened on 15 April 2024 and will close on 3 May 2024. Home visits are intended for those voters who are unable to travel to voting stations, while special votes at voting stations are for everyone who is unable to be at the voting station on Election Day. Special voting will be conducted on the two days preceding Election Day, on 27 and 28 May 2024,” the CEO said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
