By Neelam Rahim

Several civil society organizations are meeting at the Braamfontein Recreational Centre in Johannesburg to discuss and develop a plan of action regarding the Electoral Amendment Bill. The indaba is the brainchild of several organizations, including My Vote Counts, Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution, Rivonia Circle, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and Defend our Democracy.

Speaking to Radio Islam International Defend our Democracy, Lukhona Mondli said the gist of the discussion is to develop a broad consensus among the civil society on the meaning of electoral reforms.

According to Lukhona, some people do not necessarily agree with the type of constituency-based system that has been proposed.

He said it would be around developing a campaign on how to push back on this current bill that parliament seems held bent on proceeding with.  

The bill as it currently stands unfairly includes independent candidates, he added.

“It’s almost malicious compliance with the constitutional court judgment. At the heart of it, independence will compete with political parties and not with individuals from political parties as is the norm the local government elections.”

There will be some discussion on the forthcoming post-2024. Lukhona tells Radio Islam that a short term has been developed until December 2022. This is the extended deadline given by the Constitutional Court to Parliament to conclude this work.

“Ours will put as much pressure as possible during this period on Parliament to try and get them to the right thing.”

There is then a medium-term period from December 2022 through the elections of 2024.

According to Lukhona, if there is no success during this period in attaining the necessary reforms, this will become a political issue.

Following this is a long-term period from post-2024 to the 2029 elections. What will be done to ensure that comprehensive electoral reforms have been adopted and operationalized by the time the 2029 elections are reached.

Listen to the interview on Radio Islam’s podcast below.