One South Africa Movement (OSA) has bemoaned Parliament's tardiness to amend the Electoral Act, in line with the Constitutional Court's ground-breaking ruling that people not belonging to political parties should be allowed to stand in provincial and national elections. OSA says that, if the amendment bill is not passed by the apex court's deadline, the judgment should be "read into" the legislation. It would mean the court would make the law, if Parliament failed to do so.
While Parliament will miss a deadline set by the Constitutional Court to amend the Electoral Act, Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula says Parliament is legislating successfully and adds there is no reason to panic about the Electoral Amendment Bill.
In June 2020, the Constitutional Court instructed Parliament to amend the Electoral Act to allow people not belonging to parties to be elected to the National Assembly and provincial legislatures.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) will only support an extension for Parliament to amend the Electoral Act if the current amendment bill is passed.