Parties and independent candidates contesting in GP to sign Electoral Code of Conduct

JOHANNESBURG - Political parties and independent candidates that will be contesting in Gauteng are set to sign the Electoral Code of Conduct on Tuesday.  

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is hosting the signing ceremony at Emperors Palace, in Kempton Park. 

A total of 52 political parties and five independents will be vying for seats in what will be the country’s hotly contested province. 

By signing the code of conduct, participants commit to ensuring they promote conditions of free and fair elections. 

This includes refraining from using language that provokes violence, carrying weapons at political rallies and bribing voters among other conditions. 

One of the strongest penalties of breaching the Electoral Code of Conduct is a party or independent having their votes cancelled or their registration status revoked. 

However, the Electoral Commission has never used these measures in the past. 

Gauteng has been considered by electoral analysts as a swing province with the African National Congress (ANC) having won it by a narrow 50.19% majority in 2019.