New electoral bill ready soon

2003-03-04 15:41

Cape Town - South Africa's new electoral systems bill is expected to come before the cabinet only in June, according to the department of home affairs programme for 2003.

The programme, circulated at Tuesday's meeting of the National Assembly's home affairs committee, says there is no law to regulate next year's general election.

The bill would have to be passed well before the 2004 elections and would be presented to the cabinet in June.

Asked last month whether South Africa would have a totally new system in place ahead of the elections in 2004, Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi said: "I think it is too late for the next election.

"I don't think the (Frederik van Zyl Slabbert task team's majority) proposal can be used for the next election. It is too late for that."

The African National Congress is already on record as saying it does not favour a change to South Africa's proportional representation system.

However, the task team's majority report favours a new system.

- SAPA