STEPS to guide you in the process:

STEP 1:

Schedule a community meeting with the purpose of establishing a Community Forum (CF), an organisation or a movement in your municipality/ward/area.

• Extend invitations to churches, community leaders and citizens, explaining the intention of the meeting (i.e. that it’s about good governance, not party politics).
• Let all attendees complete an attendance register and minute the proceedings and discussions at the meeting, to be kept for reference and record purposes.

STEP 2:

The Agenda for the meeting should include:  

• Decide and agree on a name for your area (e.g. Senekal Community Forum).
• Discussions and agreements in line with the manifesto and the core values of RRR (e.g. agree on the Bill of Values as your basis for uniting).
• Elect your preferred Independent Candidates (if it includes yourself, ask to be nominated) and also elect Office bearers which should comprise of a chairperson, deputy chairperson, treasurer, secretary, a youth representative and members that can assist with voter registration and assistance with and during elections;                                                    
• Prepare and agree on a Constitution for the CF or organisation for submission with registration (see Document 1_ConstitutionTemplate). The Constitution must as far as possible contain the following information:
  • The executive structure of the CF or organisation.
  • The election procedure for the executive of the CF or organisation;
  • The decision-making process and functions of the office bearers within the CF or organisation;
  • The minimum requirements for membership of the organisation or a movement;
  • The internal disciplinary procedures of the organisation or a movement; and
  • The requirements for audited financial statements.

• The mark or symbol and the logo of the CF or organisation must be discussed and agreed on for inclusion in the registration application.

• It is recommended that a community forum be established linked with the Local Council name (e.g. Msunduzi Community Forum). It will assist with identification and record keeping                                                                                    

STEP 3:

Prepare the Deed of Foundation for the Community Forum or organisation. See Document 2_IEC Annexure 6

STEP 4:

Advertise your intention to register your Community Forum or organisation at Municipal level. You are required to place a notice advertisement in a local newspaper (see Document 3_IEC Annexure 2). It must be completed and submitted at a local newspaper for an advertisement. Note:

• You only submit proof to the IEC after advertisement has appeared in the newspaper (literally the original page where your advert appeared).
• Ensure that your logo be in colour – it’s a requirement.                                                     

Important: Registration documentations can only be submitted once the advertisement process is complete. A copy of the advertisement that appeared in the newspaper must be included as part of Document 3_IEC Annexure 2.

STEP 5:

With all the information required to register, complete Document 4_IEC Annexure 1                                                                                  

Important: Registration at Local Council level does not automatically register the Community Forum for the District Council (DC), in which that Local Council falls. Any organisation wishing to contest a DC election must indicate such DC in its application.

 

LASTLY, TAKE NOTE:

For Independent Candidates where there is NO ORGANISATION registered:

It will be beneficial and cost-effective to register a Community Forum or organisation with the IEC where two or more Independent Candidates contest wards in the Local Council. In this regard, the CF or organisation is to prepare a candidate list and not register Independent Candidates. Should you however be the only Independent Candidate contesting a ward in a Local Council, the following apply. An Independent Ward Candidate can be nominated by a person (the Nominator) who:

• ordinarily resides in the municipality in that ward;
• is registered on that municipal segment of the voter’s roll.
• Requirements:
  • A prescribed nomination form signed by the Nominator (published before municipal elections).
  • A prescribed acceptance of nomination form (published before municipal elections) signed by the candidate which includes an undertaking to be bound by the Code of Conduct and a declaration that the candidate is not disqualified from standing in the elections in terms of the Constitution or other applicable legislation, together with a copy of the first page of their ID book
  • A copy of the page of the candidate’s ID book on which the candidate’s photo, name and ID number appear (no need to be certified)
  • A prescribed form (published before municipal elections) containing the names, surnames, ID Numbers and signatures of at least fifty (50) voters whose names appear on the voter’s roll of any one of the voting districts of the ward the candidate is contesting.
  • The prescribed election deposit of R1,000.00 paid by means of a bank guaranteed cheque in favour of the Electoral Commission.
    (Remember that this only applies to candidates where no organisation has been registered. If an independent organisation/forum has been registered then the cost per candidate could be a mere R100.)
  • An A5 colour photo (head and shoulders) of the Independent Ward Candidate as first choice, but black and white will not be rejected.