Local Government Elections

The South African government announced the local elections will be held on August 3 this year. However a case in the country’s Constitutional Court underway today could change this. The Court is expected to deliver a judgement on the case of addresses of voters. Last month parliament was told that the Electoral Commission of South Africa did not have addresses of around 46% of more than 26 million people registered to vote. Other concerning issues in the build-up of the election have been violent protests, political killings and a struggling economy. To look at this topic we are joined on the line by:• Gary Pienaar, Research Manager of the Democracy, Governance & Service Delivery Programme at the Human Sciences Research Council, • Steven Gruzd, head of governance and African Peer Review MechanismProgramme, South African Institute of International Affairs • Ebrahim Fakir, the Manager of the Political Parties and Parliamentary Programme at the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA)