IEC seeks tools to fight election disinformation, social media myths

IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo presents 2024 Elections Report to Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee on July 15, 2025.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) CEO, Sy Mamabolo, says they faced an unprecedented number of challenges during last year’s general elections.

Mamabolo highlights disinformation on social media as a major concern, stressing the need for ongoing vigilance and decisive action to counter persistent myths.

Presenting the IEC’s report on the 2024 elections in Parliament on Tuesday, Mamabolo says that stronger capacity and better ways are needed to manage the social media space, warning that it can pose a serious risk to the integrity of elections.

The IEC says it faced an unprecedented number of court challenges in 2024, all linked to last year’s elections. The commission’s Chairperson, Mosotho Moepya, reveals that 80 court applications were lodged against the IEC. Of these, the commission won 78 cases, while two remain under appeal.

The IEC was briefing the committee on Tuesday on its performance in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections. Moepya also made it clear that no decision has been made around E-voting for the 2026 elections.

IEC reports on the 2024 general elections in parliament