Elections ruling a vindication of constitutional democracy – IRR

4 September 2021

The Constitutional Court’s order to proceed with elections as the law requires, and as scores of other countries have done successfully, is historic.

The Electoral Commission (IEC) would rather have broken the election cycle, ignored the Constitution, and opened a space to stop voters from confronting local leaders at the ballot box indefinitely. The Constitutional Court shut down this coup de main on freedom’s foundation.

The IRR will issue a later statement to reflect on the key lessons to draw from the successful campaign to #SaveTheVote over an intense seven weeks, but, for now, thanks are due to those who supported us; the Friends of the IRR, grassroots supporters who make donations averaging R80 per month, and to a major sponsor, who enabled the Institute to take the fight to #SaveTheVote from the court of public opinion to the highest court in the land.

Said IRR head of campaigns Gabriel Crouse: “We blocked the coup de main. A legion of civil society – political parties, the Western Cape government, and most important, active citizens – stood up to say No! to voter suppression. We won.

Now people can vote, as is their right, and we urge South Africans to do so wisely. Joyous as the rare victory is, we would not be the IRR without tempering delight with a warning against complacency.

“ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe responded to the ConCourt’s ruling by saying that their intervention in support of postponement had ‘nothing to do with the councillor candidate registration process’ – fake news flatly contradicted by the ANC’s court papers, which are on public record. If the ANC continues to spread disinformation about the elections and this court case, discrediting the process, it poses a great danger that they will not accept the results of what is likely to be a punishing election.”

Issued by Gabriel Crouse, IRR Head of Campaigns, 4 September 2021