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Non-governmental organisation My Vote Counts called on members of the National Assembly to reject amendments to the Electoral Matters Amendment Bill (EMAB) and for Parliament to ensure that any changes in the law are in the public interest.

The National Assembly will on Tuesday vote on what My Vote Counts describes as the "far-reaching" EMAB.

My Vote Counts said that in a "show of political expedience", several of the amendments that relate to political party funding have strayed far beyond the scope of what is necessary to be in line with the amended Electoral Act.

The EMAB was introduced by Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi in December 2023, with the aim of bringing several laws in line with the amended Electoral Act (2023), adopted by the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on March 1, and is waiting to be signed into law.

My Vote Counts said it is clear that the EMAB amendments are unconstitutional and a grave threat to the country's democracy, and that if it is signed into law, it will have detrimental consequences to the constitutional imperatives of transparency, openness and accountability.

"If signed into law, these wide-reaching amendments will open opportunities for a money-grab by political parties prior to a highly contested election," it added.

Specifically, it is concerned about the amendments relating to the Political Party Funding Act (PPFA) and includes the allocation formula for political party funding from the State through the Represented Political Parties Fund and the way the yearly upper limit of donations and the disclosure threshold is determined.

It noted that the amendments seek to change the allocation formula to disperse funds from two-thirds proportional and one-third equitable, to 90% proportional and 10% equitable.

"This reverts to the funding formula in place before the introduction of the PPFA and will only benefit larger parties. The funding formula that has been in effect since April 2021 (two-thirds proportional and one-third equitable) was developed to provide a more even playing field in terms of public funding, and to provide smaller or emerging parties with a bigger slice of the public funding pie," it said.

Additionally, the adopted version of the Bill repeals the Regulations that regulate how the annual disclosure threshold and the annual upper limit are determined. The previous proposed amendments sought to expand the President's powers to make the determinations, but was rejected following public criticism.

"…there will be a legal void if the EMAB is signed into law, without a simultaneous proclamation by the President of the disclosure threshold, which is R100 000 and the upper limit, which is R15-million. If this transpires, there will be no disclosure threshold or upper limit in place, completely undermining key objectives of the PPFA," My Vote Counts explained.

The organisation is of the opinion that this move is consistent with the African National Congress's (ANC's) ongoing campaign to undermine the PPFA, by expanding its reporting threshold and annual funding limits.

My Vote Counts noted that a year ago, the ANC instructed its MPs to use Parliamentary processes to give life to this campaign.

The organisation said that ironically, when President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the PPFA into law in 2021, he said that it was, "part of the commitment of this administration to improving transparency and accountability in government".

"If the ANC forces this through Parliament without remedying these defects, it will not only be challenged in Court, but reinforce the notion that the governing party is willing to forego on value and principle in the pursuit of power," My Vote Counts said.

The campaign has also been supported by other established political parties and, if successful, will take the country back to the years of secrecy in politics and will see the grip that money has on the country's democracy expanded, it added.

Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo assures that the credibility of the commission is not dependent on a single factor - "it is an important factor, yet not the only determinant of the credibility of the commission", he said in reference to the recent leaked candidate lists of the African National Congress and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party.

Mamabolo said the person responsible for circulating the lists has been fired from the IEC.

On Saturday, the IEC reported that it had become aware of lists of candidates that were being circulated on social media platforms. The IEC indicated that the lists contained hallmarks that suggested it was circulated by a user inside the organisation.

"For that reason, an enquiry was instituted to establish the circumstances of the unauthorised circulation and the person or persons responsible. Following investigations over the weekend and early hours of [Monday], the Electoral Commission is able to give a preliminary report that the investigation has narrowed the source of the disclosure to a workstation that had been used to generate and store the reports," Mamabolo said.

He assured that the reports were deleted from the workstation, which had since been secured and imaged in the presence of the staff member whose credentials were used to generate the reports.

He highlighted that a forensic analysis of the computer was under way.

"The Electoral Commission reiterates its regret for the unauthorised disclosure of the lists and the disclosure of personal information of candidates on those lists. The Electoral Commission continues to cooperate with the Information Regulator in this regard," Mamabolo said.

He explained that several measures had been taken since the matter came to light on Friday, saying access to the report section of the candidate nomination had been scaled down.

He added that there was also heightened awareness created among all staff members, noting that corrective actions had been taken in terms of internal policies of the IEC.

VOTERS ROLL TO BE CERTIFIED

Meanwhile, Mamabolo announced that since the voters' roll was compiled for the first time ahead of the 1999 national and provincial elections, it had shown steady growth of over 35% and contained the highest number of registered voters, recording an increase of 9.6-million voters since the 1999 general elections.

Mamabolo said that over 27.79-million voters were eligible to cast their votes in the 2024 national and provincial elections.

Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the elections would take place on May 29.

During the 1999 national and provincial elections, the IEC recorded 18.17-million registered voters, 20.67-million in the 2004 elections, 23.18-million in the 2019 elections, 25.39-million in the 2014 elections and 26.74-million in the 2019 elections.

Mamabolo explained that the voters' roll would be certified by the chief electoral officer on Tuesday and would be published at the IEC's head office, each of the nine provincial offices of the commission and at each municipal office of the commission.

Certification signals confirmation of those citizens who are eligible to vote in the elections, he said.

"Electronic copies of the voters' roll which contains the redacted identity numbers of voters in compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act will be provided to all political parties and independent candidates who have qualified to contest the elections," he explained.

Mamabolo noted that the provincial breakdown of the registered voters indicated that Gauteng remained the biggest voting block, followed by KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape respectively.

"The highlight of the certified roll is the increase in the rate of representation of persons in the age cohort 18 to 39 years. This age band accounts for 42%, or 11.7-million, of the voters on the voters' roll. In fact, the increase in this age category from the 2021 local government ele...

ActionSA president Herman Mashaba announced the party's national chairperson Michael Beaumont, Eastern Cape provincial chairperson Athol Trollip and party spokesperson Lerato Ngobeni are among the candidates the party will be fielding to represent it in the National Assembly.

Mashaba was unveiling his party's 'Team Fix South Africa' in Johannesburg, where he noted that if given the mandate to govern, an ActionSA administration would reduce the number of national government departments to about 20, and eliminate the position of deputy minister in all departments.

He said the chosen candidates represented some of the best minds and skills the country had.

He announced Beaumont as the party's Team Fix South Africa's member for Infrastructure and Public Enterprises, Ngobeni as Team Fix South Africa's member for Home Affairs and Trollip as Team Fix South Africa's member for Land and Agriculture, and as the party's leader of Executive Business in Parliament.

The list also includes Dr Tsholofelo Maforah, Dr Tutu Faleni, Solly Moeng, Pieter Scribante, Mpho Madisha, Dr Kgosi Letlape, Nothukhela Mahkohliso, Dereleen James, Advocate Julie Seaton, Thuli Khoza, Mohammed Rafeek Shah, Nompumelelo Edward, Sello Lediga and Alan Beesley.

"They represent some of the most patriotic South Africans who are committed to undoing the legacy of the current cruel and uncaring government. Those who form part of 'Team Fix South Africa' have already served this country in the public and private sectors for many years, and are now ready to take that contribution further," Mashaba said.

He noted that his party would reduce the benefits Ministers received, including "excessive" catering and travel allowances, it would slash the budget for VIP protection, and ensure that Ministers were always transparent about the actions they took.

He added that at a time of fiscal constraint and a cost of living crisis that is ravaging the nation, the perks of Ministers should be slashed before any other budgetary cuts.

He said leaders must set an example for fiscal responsibility.

"With their announcement today, we want to demonstrate to the South African people that we are not a party hallmarked by career politicians with no real-world experience in the portfolios they are meant to lead," he said.

He committed that an ActionSA government would be appointed based on merit, and not political connections.

"Whether ActionSA governs with a majority, or in coalition, we will be uncompromising on ensuring that we appoint the best persons to Cabinet positions who have real-world experience in the portfolios they are supposed to lead. We will not engage in cadre deployment, nepotism and cronyism. We will only appoint people on merit and with impeccable track records with a commitment to clean governance and service delivery," he said.

While other political leaders might make space for compromised leaders within their ranks, Mashaba said ActionSA was unwavering in its commitment that the party's leaders must be above reproach.

He explained that all candidates had undergone an extensive and rigorous selection process, adding that the party had spent countless hours interviewing candidates and scoring tests to ensure that ActionSA only sent the best people possible to Parliament to possibly fill Cabinet positions.

President Cyril Ramaphosa noted on Monday that Eskom, under the leadership of its new Group CEO, is finalising an agreement with business to deploy additional independent skilled experts to support the ailing power utility.

Eskom CEO Dan Marokane assumed office on Friday. Eskom has been without a CEO since February last year, after the early departure of André de Ruyter.

Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly letter to the nation that the partnership between government and business was established in June, last year, to tackle the electricity supply crisis, the severe challenges in freight rail and port operations, and crime and corruption.

He noted that while the partnership has been focused on specific immediate actions, the broader work to grow the economy and create jobs draws on the contributions and capabilities of all social partners and stakeholders.

He said the partnership is working to increase electricity generation capacity from different sources by up to 10 600 MW, which will enable a significant reduction in the severity of loadshedding by the end of the year.

This, he said, included improved Eskom plant performance, additional private investment in rooftop solar and large-scale power projects, and connecting projects from previous renewable energy bid windows to the grid.

He highlighted that since November 2023, loadshedding is 61% lower than the same period a year ago.

"Among other things, this has been made possible by the return of units at Kusile power station and the impact of new generation capacity from rooftop solar and private sector investment," he explained.

Since the partnership began, he said the private sector has contributed more than R170-million of direct support and has mobilised over 350 technical experts across the three areas.

More than 130 CEOs of the country's leading companies have pledged their support, he added.

Meanwhile, he explained that following the recent appointment of permanent executive leadership, Transnet is focused on rebuilding internal capacity and drawing on these private sector technical resources to restore the operational performance of strategic rail corridors.

CRIME AND CORRUPTION

Ramaphosa also highlighted that steady progress has been made in tackling crime and corruption, saying through the Joint Initiative on Crime and Corruption, the private sector is providing business information and resources to assist with the fight against infrastructure crime.

Support has also been provided to modernise the 10111 police helpline, with a pilot project initiated at the main call centre in Midrand, and the establishment of a forensics analysis centre with the Hawks.

Ramaphosa highlighted that an important part of the work to tackle crime and corruption will be the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Amendment Bill, which he said will strengthen the independence and investigating capacity of the NPA.

He explained that the Bill will also enable the establishment of additional infrastructure to support the Investigating Directorate as a permanent entity, including a dedicated forensics laboratory.

Ramaphosa noted that a key focus of the partnership is to secure South Africa's removal from the Financial Action Task Force grey list by at least June 2025.

"As we work to rebuild our economy, we will strive to deepen these partnerships and to reach out to all South Africans to be involved in these efforts. By broadening the involvement of all social partners in this work, we will continue to build durable social compacts that make a real difference in people's lives," he said.

The African National Congress (ANC) is likely to lose its parliamentary majority in May for the first time since Nelson Mandela led it to power at the fall of apartheid 30 years ago, a survey showed, opening up the prospect of coalition rule.

South Africans go to polls on May 29 to elect a new National Assembly, which will then choose the next president.

A survey of voter opinion in February by Johannesburg-based think tank The Brenthurst Foundation and the SABI Strategy Group estimated support for the ANC at 39%, down from 41% in October and 44% in November 2022.

The survey was modelled on the 66% turnout of the last general election in 2019, when the ANC got more than 57% of the vote.

A result below 50% in May would mean the former liberation movement would be forced to enter into a coalition with smaller parties to govern the country, a far cry from its best-ever result in 2004 under Thabo Mbeki when it secured almost 70% of the vote.

The ANC's image has been tarnished in the past decade by economic stagnation, rising unemployment and repeated corruption scandals involving its top officials.

Its current leader, President Cyril Ramaphosa, has tried to clean up the party's reputation and revive the economy since replacing Jacob Zuma in 2018, but has struggled to make much headway.

Rolling power cuts that have become part of daily life are symptomatic of the ANC's lacklustre track record on service delivery.

Ramaphosa said last month that the ANC would work to resolve the country's challenges should it win decisively at the polls.

Over three-quarters of the Brenthurst/SABI survey's respondents said they would be happy with a coalition government.

The survey showed support for the biggest opposition party the Democratic Alliance at 27%, up from 23% in October's survey, while support for the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters party fell to 10% from 17% in October.

Support for the newly-formed uMkhonto weSizwe party, which has been endorsed by Zuma, was seen at 13%.

The telephone survey was nationally representative, targeted only registered voters and had a 3% margin of error at the 95% confidence level.

The Brenthurst Foundation was set up by the Oppenheimers, heirs to the De Beers diamond fortune.

ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont noted on Friday that patronage politics has no place in ActionSA, announcing the resignation of its Limpopo provincial chairperson Letsiri Phaahla and termination of his party membership.

This after the party learnt about Phaahla joining the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, associated with former President Jacob Zuma.

Beaumont explained that ActionSA leadership had received communication from Phaahla on Thursday on his intent to resign, citing resource-related challenges.

However, Beaumont said that it was later found out that Phaahla had been negotiating his membership with the MK Party for some time, while "extolling the virtues of ActionSA" in the campaign.

He alleged that Phaahla was offered considerable financial inducement to join MK, according to "credible sources".

Beaumont said Phaahla's move was an indictment on himself.

"Any person who leaves ActionSA to join MK clearly has been ideologically confused and, clearly, has a casual commitment to the notion of ethical leadership if they align with the values of Former President Zuma," said Beaumont.

He said patronage politics had become too common in South Africa and candidate deadlines have become "like transfer windows" for those whose political alignment is for sale.

"ActionSA welcomes the departure of such compromised leaders from its ranks prior to an election before they sit in a legislature where they abuse the role of public servant for their own ends," Beaumont said.

He announced that Victor Mothemela - having served as the head of the party's campaigns in the province since 2022 - will take on the role of provincial chairperson.

He said Mothemela had served as a Corporal in the South African Defence Force and a Detective Sergeant in the South African Police Service before going into business.

As Minister of Public Enterprises Pravin Gordhan readies to leave office after the May 29 elections, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has less than warm words for him, describing his tenure as "disastrous".

On Friday, Gordhan's department announced his intention to retire from active politics when the term of the current administration ends after the elections.

Gordhan has led Public Enterprises since 2018, having been appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, and will be leaving what the DA says is "a trail of destruction in the State-owned enterprises (SOEs) sector".

"Gordhan stood idly by as Eskom lurched from one crisis to another. Since his appointment to the Public Enterprises portfolio, South Africans have spent more days in the dark than at any other time since the crisis began 17 years ago. By failing to decisively deal with the loadshedding crisis, Gordhan should shoulder part of the blame for South Africa's struggling economy, loss of jobs, closure of businesses, and attendant decline in private sector investment," said DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises Mimmy Gondwe.

Recently, Gordhan has faced criticism for not disclosing the sale agreements related to the South African Airways (SAA)/Takatso deal.

"Gordhan has gone to extreme lengths to try and co-opt Parliament into his long drawn-out plan to maintain a veil of secrecy on the SAA/Takatso deal," Gondwe said.

She further blamed Gordhan for the bailouts that some SOEs received, at the expense of the taxpayer, accusing him of squandering the public goodwill he held at the start of his role as Public Enterprises Minister.

She also called him out for not backing former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter when he made allegations of widespread corruption at the State power utility, linking politicians and criminal networks.

She said Gordhan had closed ranks with the African National Congress (ANC) and victimised De Ruyter, instead of investigating the allegations he had made.

"Gordhan has himself to blame for choosing to be an ANC lackey rather than a principled public servant for the greater good. South Africans should vote in their millions on 29 May to send the rest of his comrades packing from government. The DA is the only party big enough and with the institutional capacity to rescue South Africa and get our country working again," Gondwe said.

The African National Congress (ANC) assured on Friday that its integrity committee followed a thorough interview and vetting process for all candidates selected to stand in the national and provincial legislative houses.

Political parties have until 5pm on Friday to submit their lists to the Independent Electoral Commission, as one of the requirements for parties who want to contest the elections.

The ANC says its public representative candidate list reflects the deployment of individuals that have the right skills set, integrity, experience and capabilities to serve on provincial and national government.

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri said the party is committed to electing leaders within the framework provided by its policy document, "Through the Eye of a Needle", which is supposed to help the ANC strengthen the ethics of its members, particularly those deployed in the public sector.

She noted that after an elaborate process that combined selection and election, the ANC list for Parliament and the nine provincial legislatures can be characterised as a "mosaic of culture, gender, geography and skill".

She said the list is representative of the non-racial, non-sexist promise of the South Africa Constitution and signals the significant intergenerational mix with young leaders stepping into the national body.

"…and of course this is something we are feeling very confident and excited about. It is our conviction that this process demonstrates the ANC's position as the only political party capable and intentional about both descriptive and substantive representation, inclusion and diversity in our outlook on governance and matters of leadership," she said.

Bhengu-Motsiri revealed that 2 457 candidates were submitted to the IEC for National Parliament. Thirty-one people declined their nominations.

"284 candidates were interviewed by the Electoral Committee. On the final lists submitted: 52.5% are women, we have increased youth representation to 17%, the list has ensured the deliberate inclusion of a diversity of sectors including persons with disability, traditional leaders, alliance partners and LGBTQI+ persons," she revealed.

She said to qualify, candidates preferably possessed post-matric qualifications or demonstrated capacity, experience, education, or expertise conducive to making constructive contributions within the relevant legislature or executive.

Moreover, candidates were mandated to complete the four OR Tambo Leadership School online module, she added.

All candidates agreed to subject themselves to lifestyle audits, have not been charged in a court of law, nor have adverse findings against them from the ANC disciplinary process nor by the ANC Integrity Commission, she highlighted.

"Guided by the party's policies, our commitment to unity and renewal, and other considerations, the ANC's MP's and provincial legislatures shoulder the vital responsibility of giving substance to our policy positions as well as their roles defined in the Constitution. We expect that our candidates will be aligned to the ANC's manifesto," she said.

Bhengu-Motsiri noted that in August 2023, informed by the adopted candidate selection guidelines, the ANC announced the commencement of its candidate selection process which, she said entailed the nomination and selection of candidates who would serve as public representatives at national and provincial level under the ANC's banner.

This process has been managed by the Electoral Committee led by the party's stalwart Kgalema Motlanthe.

Following threats of violence against the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) by members of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK), the African National Congress (ANC) urged South Africans to remain vigilant and to report any instances of threats or violence.

MK members recently warned that the IEC and courts would be attacked if MK was kept off the ballot, ahead of the 2024 elections.

The party, affiliated with former President Jacob Zuma, has until Friday to submit the signatures required by the IEC, as well as its candidate lists and deposits to be able to contest the elections.

The ANC condemned the MK members' statements that threatened violence, saying it undermined the foundations of South Africa's democracy.

"The threats of anarchy, riots and the disruption of elections are not only reckless but also pose a direct threat to the institutions of democracy and the people of South Africa. Such inflammatory rhetoric has no place in our democratic society and runs counter to the principles of peaceful coexistence and respect for the rule of law," the ANC said.

The party said commitment to uphold the democratic process must be reaffirmed and called on other political parties and civil society to condemn the threats of violence.

"In the face of these threats, the ANC remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting peace, stability and the rule of law. We call on all South Africans to reject violence and to work together to safeguard our democratic institutions and the rights of all citizens," the party said.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has followed through on its promise to take African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Fikile Mbalula to task over his failure to hand over complete records relating to the ANC's cadre deployment committee.

The DA contends that the ANC is in contempt of the Constitutional Court order, which required the ANC to hand over complete records of its national cadre deployment committee dating back to January 1, 2013, when ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa was chairperson.

The DA claimed that the ANC had deliberately failed to hand over some records and redacted some information, and that there was overwhelming evidence that the ANC also had active provincial and regional cadre deployment committees in ANC-controlled provincial and municipal governments which subverted legal appointment processes.

"As the DA articulates in our urgent application, the ANC's failure to comply with the court order amounts to an assault on the judiciary and the rule of law. By refusing to be bound by an order upheld by the Constitutional Court, the ANC risks triggering a full-blown constitutional crisis. The only way to avert this urgent risk to our constitutional order on the eve of a general election, is for the DA's application to succeed and for the ANC's secretary-general and officials involved in the destruction of information to be held personally accountable," said DA Shadow Minister for Public Service and Administration Leon Schreiber.

The DA's court action against the ruling party will also ask for the laptop and hardrive from which the cadre deployment records were removed. The DA wants the hardware handed over to an independent IT expert.

The DA is adamant that the ANC is hiding information relating to Ramaphosa's role in cadre deployment, which was supposedly used to facilitate State capture.

"We will use every single tool at our disposal to force the ANC to respect the rule of law and comply with the court order for it to expose all of its dirty cadre secrets, so that the people of South Africa can see with their own eyes how the root cause of State capture, of corruption and of collapsing service delivery, including loadshedding and water-shedding, is the African National Congress," Schreiber said.