President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Electoral Amendment Bill into law after the Bill was passed by both houses of Parliament in February 2023.
The signing of the Bill follows a historic Constitutional Court ruling that found that the Electoral Act was unconstitutional, as it did not allow independent candidates to contest national and provincial elections.
However, it has been criticised as being fundamentally flawed. But, the President’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya says that the Bill will enrich South Africa’s democracy.
The Electoral Amendment Bill marks a significant milestone in the evolution of our democracy by expanding electoral participation and widening the pool of leadership choices for the National Assembly and provincial legislatures. The Bill presents a development that can only enrich and sustain our growing constitutional democracy.”
Electoral Amendment Bill comes under scrutiny:
