The climate in which the elections of traditional councils across the North West province were to take place is not conducive for credible elections, MEC for Local Government and Traditional Affairs, Manketsi Tlhape and the Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission Adv. Pansy Tlakula agreed this morning.
MEC Tlhape and Advocate Tlakula resolved to indefinitely postpone the elections which were supposed to be held tomorrow, Saturday 6 July 2013.
A number of challenges have emerged in various communities which have necessitated the postponement. Amongst others these challenges were that some of the communities did not fully participate nor support the electoral process from inception, legal challenges and incomplete candidate nomination process in some villages which resulted in stalling the ballot production process.
The immediate implication of this postponement is that voting stations will not open across all traditional areas in the province tomorrow. The MEC remarked that the department wishes to express its sincere regret that the process will not proceed tomorrow as planned.
“To those members of our traditional communities who went through the process of registration and nominations we wish to profusely apologise. However it is in the best interest of a credible electoral process that we have to postpone these elections,” said Tlhape.
Both the Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs and IEC indicated that the institution of traditional leadership remains an important cornerstone of the democratic dispensation in the country as such they will continue to seek avenues in which to create the necessary credible conditions for these elections. In this regard both parties will in due course inform dikgosi and our communities when a new electoral timetable is finalised.
