Strict COVID-19 voting regulations 

SA – President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that this year’s local government elections will be held on Wednesday 27 October.
 
The announcement comes after South Africa held its first by-elections under COVID-19 protocols on Wednesday 21 April – a development that cast a shadow on the ability of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to adhere to constitutional obligations during the global pandemic. Polls were held in 15 municipal wards across seven provinces on Wednesday 21 April.
    
The local government elections – which will be held for the sixth time under South Africa’s democratic dispensation – will be one of the major events on the country’s political  calendar.