THE relaxation of the Disaster Management Act restrictions from Level 3 to Level 1, has paved a way for the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to clear its backlogs.

The IEC is expected to hold municipal by-elections for vacancies that arose since the last by-elections in early December.

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According to IEC spokesperson, Kate Bapela, outstanding by-elections are scheduled to be held on 21 April and 19 May.

‘These by-elections will help us clear the backlogs ahead of the local government elections scheduled for between 4 August and 1 November,’ she said. The City of uMhlathuze has three vacant wards – 15, 22 and 30.

uPhongolo Local Municipality has only one vacant ward (14).

‘The cut-off for the filling of ward vacancies ahead of the local government elections is 1 May,’ said Bapela.

‘The nine-month deadline for the cessation of by-elections in the case of dissolved municipal councils (1 February) has already passed,’ she said.

‘We were able to conduct free, fair and safe by-elections last year in November and December during the previous alert Level 1 phase of restrictions, and we remain confident that we can still conduct further by-elections under the same conditions.’

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