Independent candidates: Change to electoral system could benefit ANC
11 June 2020
The Constitutional Court's judgment that independent candidates can stand for elections on provincial and national level should be received with caution. A change to the current electoral system could be such that it benefits the ANC and allows the party to acquire even more seats in Parliament.
There is a misconception among people that the electoral system must ensure that members of Parliament and provincial legislatures are held accountable. That is, however, not the case.
It is the relevant political parties' responsibility to ensure that their representatives are accountable to voters, thus, it is an independent candidate's own responsibility to remain accountable. The electoral system cannot guarantee that.
This standpoint is also expressed in the report by the late Dr Frederik van Zyl Slabbert's electoral task team that investigated whether changes can be made to the electoral system.