The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has acknowledged that some citizens who volunteered as temporary election officials during the May 29 elections may not have received full payment.
The delays are attributed to outstanding documentation, including signed contracts, attendance registers, and valid bank account information.
"Without these documents and information, payments cannot be processed," said the Commission.
Efforts have been made to expedite payments, and the IEC reported that staff were paid for two-thirds of all workdays within a week of the elections, by June 8, 2024.
"Over 98% of the 274,000 election staff have been paid their stipends in full," the IEC noted, while "just under 2% of election staff have not received payment or have only received partial payment.’’
For those still awaiting full payment, the IEC advises contacting the local office that contracted them to finalise any outstanding administration, such as providing valid bank account details or signing contracts and registers for training and workdays.
In cases where local IEC offices are unreachable, volunteers can message the IEC on their platform or email info@elections.org.za with the following information: full name, ID number, dates worked, voting station and province, and cellphone number.
The IEC reminds officials that they are legally obligated to tax stipends according to the South African Revenue Service (SARS) prescripts.
Those who are unemployed or earn below the tax threshold can seek a rebate from SARS in February 2025, at the end of the tax year.
"We remain indebted to our citizens who served as election officials in difficult circumstances to deliver free, fair, and credible 2024 general elections," the Commission said.
Payments are processed in weekly tranches every Saturday, with the next approved payments scheduled for Saturday, 27 July 2024.
IOL