Hlabisa expresses difficulty pinning down workable date for local govt elections

Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Velenkosini Hlabisa has expressed difficulty with pinning down a workable date for the local government elections, saying each of the three available months each pose a unique problem.

As COGTA minister, Hlabisa has the sole prerogative to determine the local government election date, albeit in consultation with the Electoral Commission (IEC) and the Presidency.

ALSO READ: Hlabisa confirms consultations underway to set local government election date

Local government elections are held 90 days after the previous election date,1 November 2021, meaning the window for the upcoming polls is from 2 November 2026 to 30 January 2027.

At a media briefing in Centurion on Wednesday, Hlabisa said November interferes with the academic calendar, while December and January are difficult because many people would have travelled away rom their voting stations.

“It’s a difficult time upon which a date must be considered - that is why I indicated that all the departments involved with which we are doing the consultation to ensure that we arrive on a date that will not be a difficult one for any sector of our community.”

Hlabisa said lessons have been learned from this process.

“I hope, and also the discussion we just had this morning, that going forward in 2031, we will need to begin an engagement of moving the elections [away] from this season because it is just not conducive in any way.”