IFP welcomes findings of Moseneke Inquiry
20 July 2021
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) welcomes the tabling of the Report and the recommendations calling for the postponement of the upcoming Local Government Elections (LGE) by the former Deputy Chief Justice, Dikgang Moseneke, in the outcome of the Inquiry into “Ensuring Free and Fair Local Government Elections During Covid-19”. We further appreciate Inquiry’s pragmatism in issuing their findings one day earlier than promised.
We are in agreement that the impact of the third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic - as well as recent civil unrest in certain parts of the country and the lethargic rollout of the vaccine - would absolutely deny the people a free and fair chance to participate in elections. We believe that our current reality has informed this decision to postpone the LGE. The health and safety of our people must always come first - we must never allow our people to become mere voting fodder.
Although we welcome the recommendation to postpone until February 2022, the IFP reiterates its call for the LGE to be postponed until May 2022 - as we have on previous occasions. This is based not only on the time needed for South Africa to attain herd immunity, but also on the commitments of Parliament linked to the SONA, as well as the 2022 Budget, which are both traditionally scheduled for February.
Although we understand that local government is in a parlous state and that new leadership is needed, this change cannot come at the cost of the lives, livelihoods and the general wellbeing of our people.