South Africa's Electoral Commission Faces Challenges in Upcoming Elections

More than in previous elections, South Africa ’s Electoral Commission will be tested to the hilt in this year’s national and provincial elections on 29 May. For the first time in 30 years, the electoral majority of the ruling African National Congress is in jeopardy. This makes the upcoming poll the most consequential one since 1994, when the country commenced with its democratisation.

The commission has to implement an amended but interim electoral system which allows independents to stand for the first time, but which is not yet well understood by the public. The electoral commission’s institutional independence is a very important factor. The fact that the elections in South Africa have always been declared free and fair, and by the international community, is another factor. The fact that public opinion in South Africa has been generally satisfied with the management of elections for the past 30 years is a critical condition for the quality of democracy to be strengthened.

The IEC’s public accountability is enhanced by the way international and domestic observer missions scrutinise elections and the commission’s conduct. In the past, the Southern African Development Community, the African Union, the Commonwealth, the European Union and even the United Nations have deployed observer teams in South Africa. Their mandate was to observe all the components of an election, including the commission’s performance.

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