Suggestion to move October polls gets mixed reaction from parties
There has been mixed reaction from political parties following a recommendation to reschedule this year's local government elections.
Former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke has suggested postponing the October polls, saying they should be held no later than February next year.
The Independent Electoral Commission appointed Moseneke in May to determine whether the vote would be free and fair, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Inkatha Freedom Party's welcomed Moseneke's findings.
The party's Narend Singh says that the coronavirus outbreak, last week's civil unrest and the country's slow vaccination rollout would deny voters a free and fair election.
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It's suggesting pushing the polls to May.
The Democratic Alliance's Siviwe Gwarube says they don't support a postponement.
"During our oral submissions to the IEC we made a number of crucial and salient points in this regard.
"We are of the view that frequent and fiar elections are a cornerstone of our constitutional democracy and should be practised as such and we are also of the view that the state of readiness of political parties should not hinder local government elections from taking place.
"The reality is that South Africans need to be heading to the polls as soon as possible."
