Long wait as By-Elections remain suspended
Tsaone Basimanebotlhe | Monday November 23, 2020 17:23
The easing of movement restrictions in recent months had reportedly raised hopes amongst voters that they too would get to select representatives in different councils.
Villagers say securing substantive councillors is particularly important, because the representatives would spearhead their areas’ requests for coronavirus (COVID-19) assistance. The three posts fell vacant when the councillors for the wards died this year.
The three vacant wards are Metsimotlhabe in Gabane/Mmankgodi constituency, Boseja South in Mochudi East and Tamasane in Lerala/Maunatlala constituency.
This week, however, the IEC said certain laws are still suspended including the Electoral Act and Local Government Act while in the course of the State of Emergency.
“The IEC is ready to conduct elections any time, but it is bound by the law like anyone. The reason why all activities have stopped is because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” IEC spokesperson, Osupile Maroba told The Monitor. “Only three vacancies for three wards need to be filled and the ones for the specially nominated councillors do not fall under our mandate as IEC. The vacancies for council seats are supposed to be held within three months if things are normal as per the IEC Act. The by-elections will be held when the State of Emergency ends. That is when the Electoral Act will work.”
He said the by-elections could have only been held if the regulation was lifted earlier.
However, it has become apparent that the constituents for these areas have suffered the most because of lack of representation even though some councillors tried to help.
One Metsimotlhabe resident, Ogone Kelebale told The Monitor they had no one to complain to during lockdowns when they could not be assisted with food or when they needed assistance regarding COVID-19.
“Other council areas are not forced to take care of us because they have their own areas.
Again the Member of Parliament (MP) has more wards and he cannot focus only on one ward. Our situation is very painful,” Kelebale said.
“It is more than seven months now without a representative. Councillors are important because they take our concerns to council and we see them most of the time unlike the MPs. Just recently storms destroyed houses for two people and they are not yet assisted, but they have gone to ask for assistance at council.”
Another resident, Kenewang Barulaganye complained that they are going to get information late from the council since it is ploughing season and no one has told them how they will get assistance.
“At least our area could have been assigned one of the specially nominated councillors to keep on assisting us or relaying messages in times like these. We are forced to keep on calling other area councillors for assistance and they take time simply because these are not their areas.
If the government has managed to open borders, then by-elections could also be held. We need a representative who can listen to us and take our concerns to the right people,” Barulaganye said.
Local Government Act 18 (1) states, “where the seat of a member of council both elected and specially nominated becomes vacant by virtue of any provision of this Act, the vacancy shall be filled within three months in a manner prescribed by the Minister in the Order establishing the council. But where the vacancy occurs 12 months before the Local Government elections, then the vacancy shall not be filled until the next Local Government elections.”