Political parties rush to meet IEC deadline to feature on ballots
The Independent Electoral Commission says there will be no extension to the deadline for political parties and independent candidates to submit all required documents.
This includes close to 60,000 signatures for new parties and an election deposit of R750,000, which has to be paid by all parties.
All independent candidates and political parties who intend to contest are required to submit nomination requirements by 5 pm on Friday.
The commission will issue notices of non-compliance after verifying the submitted nomination documents.
The notices will be issued on 18 March for parties to rectify non-compliance by 20 March, and provisional lists of candidates will be published for inspection on 26 and 27 March.
"The requirements that a party must need are the following: They must submit a party list, they must pay a deposit, and if that party has no membership in the legislature or Parliament, it must submit signatures of supporters who are registered voters," said IEC's Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Shiburi.
READ: Clock ticking for political parties to finalise IEC lists
Meanwhile, the leadership of the Inkatha Freedom Party says it's all systems go for the party's election manifesto launch on Sunday.
On Friday, the IFP unveiled its branded helicopter at Virginia Airport in Durban North.
Attached to the chopper is a large banner that will fly over KZN for the next three months.
Newswatch joined IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa and the party's campaign committee chair, Narend Singh, on the helicopter’s maiden flight.
"I am very excited as the national campaign manager,” said Singh,
“This is something we dreamt about for a long time, flying our president high in the sky, and we just hope that the people of KwaZulu-Natal take heed that the IFP is ready to govern the province, again.”
