IEC will not reopen candidate nominations after deadline missed by hundreds

IEC chair Mosotho Moepya stated that 546 of 732 registered political parties will contest the November elections. IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo confirmed there were no technical glitches reported with the online nomination system, refuting rumors of system failures. The missed deadline affects 480 proportional representation candidates and 1,794 potential ward candidates.

While some reports suggest political disputes within communities led to non-submissions, the IEC remains firm on its decision not to reopen the process. This election cycle sees a 43% increase in nominations compared to 2021, with 142,072 nominees vying for 10,526 council seats. Candidates aged 36 to 55 constitute 58% of those running.

The IEC will finalize the candidate list on September 16 after conducting compliance checks, including verifying nomination forms, application deposits, and support for independent candidates. Of the total candidates, 40,241 are nominated by political parties for PR seats, and 100,856 will compete for ward seats. Nominations were submitted both online and manually at IEC offices nationwide.