Game on for South Africa’s 2016 Municipal Elections

It is game on for South Africa’s more than 500 political parties who will be contesting the 2016 municipal elections countrywide, the Chief Electoral Officer of the Electoral Commission, Mosotho Moepya, said in Bloemfontein.
Moepya visited the Free State to witness the signing of the Independent Electoral Commission’s Code of Conduct by contesting political parties. He said the 2016 municipal elections will be like no other election ever run in South Africa. The coming election has the highest number of registered political parties, the highest number of registered candidates, the highest number of registered voters and the highest number of voting stations.
Moepya told the Free State’s political parties this election will be more of everything ever before, but political parties will have to observe and adhere to the game’s rules. “We would like all party candidates and parties to come out of the election unscratched. They must come out of this election not having spoken words that should not have been spoken about others.” Moepya urged South Africans to be true to the Code of Conduct of the IEC as that will ensure a free and fair election. He was happy that the IEC was on schedule and in some instances ahead of schedule with the preparations for the municipal elections.
The chairman of the Electoral Commission, Vuma Mashinini, at the same event commended Free State residents for the political stability in the province. He said the municipal election train was moving forward and the IEC was ready to firmly take the process forward towards August 3.
Mashinini said the signing of the pledge by party leaders and representative will commit them to make sure elections are free and fair and without intimidation during the campaigning and voting periods. The code further also binds the party candidates, members and supporters to free and fair elections. – André Grobler

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