Cynthia Thanda
The Independent Electoral Commission d held a briefing on the 1st August 2024, at the National Museum, discussing the preparation for the 2024 General Elections to be held on October 2024 (the exact date is yet to be confirmed). Mr. Jefferson Siamisang, Secretary of the Independent Electoral Commission laid down a presentation of what they have done, what is being done and what still needs to be done.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?
a) Delimitation Exercise- increased constituencies from 57 to 61
b) Establishment of Polling Districts and Polling Stations-increased Polling Districts from 490 to 609, Polling Stations from 2,258 to 2,808 locally and from 37 to 54 in the diaspora. (However in October 2024, there will be 52, they are going to get rid of two in Mozambique, one in Kimba and the other in Moeda).
c) Voters Registration Exercise:
i) General Voter Registration (5th January – 3rd February 2024)
- Originally planned for November 2023 but postponed due to Court case
- 764, 879 validly registered locally: 413, 620 or 54% females, 350, 959 or 46% males and 239,926 or 31% youth
- 2,583 rejected: 2,288 registered elsewhere: 208 did not meet minimum age requirement: 18, have National Identity (Omang) Numbers that do not exist, whilst 9 have names not matching with National Identity Numbers provided
- GVR roll inspection: 22/04/2024 – 02/06/2024 and eventually substituted to 10/05/2024 – 20/06/2024
- 185 objections received – all dispensed with except 2 being heard today
- 1, 725 voters registered in the diaspora: 880 or 51% males, 845 or 49% females and 685 or 38% youth
- 6 Registration Books stolen at Nkange constituency: 48voters affected; 42 located and re-registered and 6 could not be located.
ii) First Supplementary Voter Registration (26th February – 15th March, 2024)
- 74, 415 voters registered; 42,332 or 27% females; 32,083 or 43% males, and 29,428 or 39% youth
- First Supplementary roll inspection for 21 days (from 30/05/2024 – 19/06/2024)
- Total 840,719 registered during General Registration; First Supplementary, and in the diaspora
iii) Second and last Supplementary Voter registration (20th – 31st May 2024)
- 197,088 validly registered: 106, 812 or 54% females: 90, 267 or 46% males and 85, 224 or 43% youth
- Roll inspection done from 5th– 25th July, 2024
- 21 objections received, all in Jwaneng- Mabutsane constituency. Jwaneng Magistrate Court presiding over them
- Certification of the roll to follow immediately after conclusion of the objections
- 454 validly registered at the diaspora: 288 or 63% females; 166 or 37% males and 164 or 36% youth
Summary
- For all 3 voter registration exercises: 1, 038,261 voters validly registered: about 80% of the set target of about 1.3 million
d) New District Offices: Charleshill, Hunkuntsi, GoodHope, Moshupa, Shakawe, Nata and Tlokweng
e) Visits to other Election Management Bodies (electoral observation); Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, the DRC and RSA. Also visited by RSA and South Sudan. Malawi in the pipeline.
WHAT IS BEING DONE?
- Procurement of new Elections Management System (EMS)
- Procurement of non-sensitive election materials: ballot boxes, polling booths, seals, tents, uniform for poll staff, solar lights, stationery, etc
- Procurement of accreditation machine/ printer: currently manual: a machine/ printer churning out 50 accreditation cards per minute
- Stakeholders Engagement: all stakeholders: All Party Conferences: Ntlo ya Dikgosi; Full Councilors, Kgotla Meetings, etc
WHAT IS STILL TO BE DONE AND NOT YET STARTED?
- Nomination of Presidential Candidates (Presidential Elections (Supplementary Provisions) Act
- Nomination of Parliamentary and Council Candidates
- Procurement of Ballot Papers
ELECTION OBSERVATION: PROCEDURAL MATTERS
- Election Observers and Media (Local & International) are accredited by IEC prior to polling day
- Requirements for accreditation: International Observers/ Media need to have been cleared by:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (visa requirements)
- Office of the President
- Submission of application indicating: name of Observer Mission
- Names of Team Members and Biodata pages of their passports
- Electronic passport size photograph
- Accreditation to be concluded a week before election day
- Each Mission is expected to submit a report to IEC within 1 month, from date of release of results
DISPUTE RESOLUTION/CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
- Complaints on polling day are handled at a polling station by the Presiding Officer, elevated to the Returning Officer and finally Commission
- For dispute resolution and conflict management, IEC has set up Party Liaison Committees across the country. Unresolved conflicts are elevated to the Legal Affairs and Dispute Resolution Committee of the Commission and finally to the Commission
- Voter registration objections are handled by the Magistrate Courts across the country
MANAGEMENT OF ELECTION RESULTS
- A Results Centre will be set up from polling day until completion of release of the results within the IEC Head offices
- Election results are officially announced by Returning Officer at the counting centre of every constituency/polling district and immediately sent to the Commission
- Upon any party reaching 31 seats of the National Assembly, the Commission notifies the Chief Justice who in turn publicly declares the winning Presidential candidate
- Petitions may be lodged with the High Court within 30 days from date of release of election results
- Only a voter or candidate in an election may raise an objection
- Petitions are determined within 90 days from date of lodging (legal requirement)
CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED IN THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTIONS
- Challenges relating to the role of politicians during the registration period. This led to Court cases.
- High registration staff attrition rates, especially Registration Clerks
