UDF petitions Ramaphosa to pause 4 November elections over Electoral Act

According to The Citizen, the United Democratic Front (UDF) has petitioned President Cyril Ramaphosa and other state organs to postpone the 4 November local government election, arguing the Electoral Act is unconstitutional and asking that the vote be delayed to allow the Constitutional Court to rule on the law and the roles and authority of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).

UDF says Electoral Act undermines voters and empowers IEC

According to The Citizen, UDF national convenor Jo Mboweni said the amended Electoral Act has rendered voters as “mere fodder for the political parties” and that the IEC is structured to act “unlawfully as a gatekeeper.”

Who the petition was sent to and what it asks for

According to The Citizen, the UDF has served the petition on President Ramaphosa and ministers responsible for home affairs, cooperative governance and traditional affairs, and justice, as well as the South African Human Rights Commission and the chief justice. The organisation also asked the parliamentary speaker to convene a sitting for a special debate on postponing the election and for a referendum.

Deadlines, responses and the UDF’s election plans

According to The Citizen, the UDF gave the government seven days to facilitate discussions on postponing the 4 November elections, saying that if talks do not take place a referendum should be called to test citizens’ views on electoral reforms. The UDF has said it will not contest the upcoming elections but will participate in the 2029 polls and has begun establishing its structures and preparing for a people’s convention.

Official acknowledgement

According to The Citizen, Ramaphosa’s office has acknowledged receipt of the UDF petition.

Context of the challenge

According to The Citizen, the UDF is the first party to serve a petition to the president’s office on this issue, which the party says has been contested since the 1994 democratic dispensation.