Minister Aaron Motsoaledi clarifies Home Affairs position on the Electoral Amendment Bill

16 October 2022

The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, has noted the confusion concerning the Department’s position regarding the Electoral Amendment Bill. The Minister wishes to clarify as follows:

Firstly, Mr. Snuki Zikalala is not the spokesperson for the Minister of Home Affairs and he does not work for the State. It would have been irregular for the Department to send anybody outside the State to represent the views of the Department. As to representing the views of other structures outside the State, the Minister has got no control over that.

Secondly, the Minister of Home Affairs never received any invitation to attend any event, meeting, symposium or debate whatsoever to give the views of the Department on the Electoral Amendment Bill.

Thirdly, the Minister wishes to clarify further that this Bill was submitted by the Department of Home Affairs to Parliament. The process is now running with Parliament. It would be very funny for the Minister who submitted the Bill to the Portfolio Committee for Parliament to process it in the first place, to then turn around and say he does not agree with it.

Fourthly, the Constitutional Court judgment clearly states that the judgment is only about independent candidates being allowed to contest election in their own right and not necessarily representing political parties. The Bill the Department submitted was based purely on this judgment. As to what is decided thereafter is up to the people of South Africa.

Lastly, in terms of procedure, the Bill is going to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) if passed by Parliament on Thursday 20th October. In terms of our understanding, the NCOP will also interact with anybody who has got issues to raise. It will be very irregular for the Minister to go behind the back of Parliament and meet anybody to discuss a process which is already fully under the control of Parliament.

Issued by Bongi Gwala, Head of Communication, Department of Home Affairs, 16 October 2022