Honourable Deputy Speaker,
This report on the 2024 elections underscores both operational strengths and systemic vulnerabilities in South Africa’s electoral architecture.
The ACDP agrees with the Portfolio Committee’s recommendations in their review of digital safeguards as this aligns with broader concerns about electoral interference and data protection in the digital age. The report invites scrutiny of budget allocations, legislative oversight, and the readiness of Home Affairs to support future electoral cycles.
The ACDP calls for urgent reforms in identity verification. Real-time interoperability is needed between the IEC and Home Affairs databases, with biometric safeguards to prevent disenfranchisement. We urge independent audits of electoral technology, cybersecurity protocols and contingency plans for digital failures.
The ACDP’s commitment to inclusive governance, cannot support thresholds to consolidate power, proposed by some parties in the GNU. We do align ourselves with the call for mobile registration units, vernacular outreach, and accessible polling stations in under-served areas.
In addressing staff preparedness the ACDP advocates for standardised training modules with performance monitoring, and community-based recruitment to improve trust and efficiency. To counter misinformation and apathy, the ACDP proposes curriculum-integrated civic education together with voter awareness campaigns, and youth-targeted digital content.
As Kingdom builders, the ACDP believes these interventions would reinforce electoral integrity and reflect justice, transparency, and participatory democracy.
