About this site

This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. It is the product of almost two decades of research and includes analyses, chronologies, historical documents, and interviews from the apartheid and post-apartheid eras.

Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)

The main task of the IEC is to arrange the country's first democratic elections and decide afterwards whether they were free and fair.

According to agreements reached by the country's negotiators - and passed into law by Parliament - the IEC must administer, organise and conduct elections. It must also take the necessary steps to prevent intimidation and violence and will be responsible for voter education.

Within 10 days after the elections, the IEC must declare whether the elections were essentially free and fair, a judgement that must have the support of 75 per cent of the members of the commission.

The IEC can reject or accept the results of the elections in total or in part. The results may not, however, be declared null and void on the grounds only of wrong actions, mistakes or non-compliance to the stipulations of the Election Code or the Election Act.

The IEC's findings will be final. No appeals will be allowed, not even by the special elections court.

The IEC may consist of between seven and 11 South African and five international members who 'do not have a high party political profile'. Its staff consists of an international advisory committee, an election administration directorate, regional electoral officers, presiding officers at voting stations, counting officers, chief election agents, regional and district election agents, voting agents, an election monitoring directorate, monitors, observers, international observers, and an election adjudication secretariat.

The first members of the IEC, nominated by the Transitional Executive Council and appointed by the state president, are Judge JC Kriegler (chairman), Adv Dikgang Moseneke (vice-chairman), Rev Frank Chikane, Dr Oscar Dhlomo, Helen Suzman, JH Heyns, R Jager, D Mokhobo, C Nupen, B van der Ross and Adv Z Yacoob.

Tel: (011) 928–1000 or (011) 397–5000

This resource is hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, but was compiled and authored by Padraig O’Malley. Return to theThis resource is hosted by the site.