124 new political parties to contest elections

Johannesburg - Voters can look forward to the Strength of Humanity, the Shosholoza Progressive Party, the Deaf Patriotic Front, the Land Claims Fighters and the Zulu Royal Property.

They are among the 124 new political parties which registered over the past year and were officially approved by the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) in a list gazetted this week.

If the new parties decide to contest the August local government elections, then voters in some areas can vote for parties ranging from the African Peace Party and the Appropriate Mutual Understanding Patriotic Party or the Heavenly Economic and Political Freedom Party to the Working-Together Political Party and the World African Power United Kingdom Wealthiest.

There are seven new parties emphasising independence, four referring to service delivery, 12 using the word "united" and another 12 referring to democracy, but only two going for revolution (the Khoisan Revolution and the People’s Revolutionary Movement).

The IEC managed to include the ICT Test Party in the official list of new parties, despite this apparently being an internal system test.

On Thursday at 5pm was the legal deadline for parties intending to contest the August local government elections to send the IEC their lists of candidates and election deposits.

The IEC has until June 27 to compile a list of parties which are contesting the elections and certify their elections lists.The IEC currently has 521 officially registered parties, including 208 which are registered at national level.

The IEC’s website list of those rejected for party registration at some time includes the Sport Party, the Famous Youth Movement, the Rainbow Party, the Dagga Party and the Guys of Delivery (GOD).