By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has urged eligible citizens to make use of the final voter registration weekend to be held on the 1st and 2nd August 2026.
Addressing the media on the state of readiness for the second round of voter registration, IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo said the Commission has completed its final operational preparations for the upcoming voter registration weekend.
This final registration weekend builds on the success of the first, during which the Commission processed approximately 2.9 million voter registration transactions.
During the weekend, all 23,699 voting stations across the country will be open from 08:00 to 17:00 on both days to assist eligible South Africans to register, verify their registration status, or update their registration details, including their residential addresses where necessary.
The IEC will deploy 48,212 trained electoral officials to assist voters with new registrations, updating residential addresses and verifying registration details ahead of the elections.
Mamabolo stressed that voters’ roll will close at midnight on the exact day the election is proclaimed, warning that no new registrations can be processed and no changes to existing voter registration details will be allowed after.
He explained that online portals for voter registration will be permanently deactivated, and all active registration drives by the commission will cease.
He urged voters to use this final registration weekend to ensure their names and physical addresses are correctly captured before the midnight cutoff.
The proclamation also marks the legal commencement of the Electoral Code of Conduct, issued under the Municipal Electoral Act.
The code remains active until the final election results are officially announced.
According to Mamabolo, the code is designed to safeguard the democratic process by fostering political tolerance across all communities, open public debate without fear of retaliation and free political campaigning for all participants.
The IEC warned against the creation of “no-go” zones, stating they violate the letter and the spirit of the code.
All registered political parties, independent candidates, office bearers, and party leaders are legally bound by these rules, he reminded.
With the election timeline spinning into motion, the candidate nomination process for both party-affiliated and independent candidates can begin.
The IEC has officially activated its Online Candidate Nomination System on its website to streamline submissions.
Following the Minister’s official proclamation, the IEC will formally gazette a comprehensive Election Timetable.
Mamabolo explained that this document will dictate all critical cut-off dates and times for the remaining electoral activities. He said candidate nomination processes for party candidates and independent candidates may commence.
To this end, the Commission has activated the Online Candidate Nomination System to facilitate nomination. The system is accessible via the public website at www.elections.org.za.