With just 42 days to go before South Africans head to the polls for the local government elections, political parties and independent candidates have now put pen to paper, committing themselves to
the IEC’s Electoral Code of Conduct. On the face of it, signing a code may sound like a routine part of the election calendar — but this is essentially a commitment about how political parties conduct themselves between now and Election Day. The Code requires contestants to reject political violence,
intimidation and threats, respect voters and opponents, and campaign in a way that allows South Africans to make their choices freely. And this year, there is another major issue on the table:
disinformation. The IEC’s new provisions require parties and candidates to verify information before sharing it and to correct false or misleading information within 36 hours of becoming aware of it.
So, what does this commitment actually mean for political parties on the ground? What happens when a party or candidate crosses the line? And, importantly, in an election increasingly fought on social
media, how do we distinguish robust political debate from misinformation and deliberate attempts to mislead voters? Those are some of the questions we’re putting to our guest today.