PRETORIA, Gauteng — The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has definitively closed the window for candidate submissions, with Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Dr. Victor Shale confirming that no late entries or manual overrides will be accepted. Addressing mounting speculation surrounding the nomination process, Dr. Shale firmly dismissed claims from the ANC that technical system glitches prevented timely filings, reinforcing that the statutory deadline remains absolute and non-negotiable.
Following the August 28 cutoff, the electoral body announced that only 66% of the 345 political parties registered at the national level have successfully finalized their nominations. While the commission oversees more than 730 registered political entities in total, a significant number failed to meet the mandatory compliance requirements to officially contest the vote.
The electoral timetable, which sets the stage for the November 4 elections, was officially gazetted after Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa proclaimed the elections on August 7. Dr. Shale emphasized that these are strict statutory processes. They are immune to extensions or alterations unless an unprecedented force majeure event occurs, effectively shutting the door on any parties that missed the window.
Addressing the ANC’s specific concerns about missed submissions in areas like the Eastern Cape, the IEC maintained that its digital infrastructure remained fully operational and faultless. The online candidate nomination portal was deliberately launched on June 21—nearly two months prior to the official proclamation. This early rollout was designed specifically to circumvent last-minute hurdles such as load-shedding or unexpected technical faults. According to the commission, all parties capable of submitting within the timeframe did so without reporting systemic failures, and the platform successfully processed all valid entries until the 5:00 PM Friday cutoff.
Although the submission phase is conclusively over, the IEC is now shifting its focus to legislative compliance reviews of the received lists. Dr. Shale outlined a strict, upcoming statutory schedule to ensure transparency:
- By September 4: The commission may contact parties that did meet the deadline to request supplementary materials, such as higher-quality scans of identity documents.
- By September 7: This serves as the absolute final deadline for parties to provide any such requested additional documentation.
- By September 9: The IEC will tackle the issue of “double packers”—individuals whose names appear on the candidate lists of multiple political parties. The commission will notify the affected parties to resolve these conflicts and legally replace the duplicated candidates.
- By September 16: The IEC will publish the definitive, finalized list of all nominated candidates for the public record.
Despite the strict cutoff, the electoral body noted an encouraging 43% surge in candidate participation compared to the 2021 cycle. Dr. Shale also took the opportunity to clarify the dual-ballot system for voters. The first ballot allows citizens to vote for a political party by its logo, filling Proportional Representation (PR) seats to ensure the council accurately reflects the proportionality of the public’s vote. The second ballot features individual ward candidates—including independents—who directly contest leadership in approximately 4,500 specific wards across the country.
As the commission moves into this finalization phase, Dr. Shale reiterated that the nomination chapter is definitively closed, and the IEC will proceed strictly according to the established election timetable without exception.
