The Democratic Alliance (DA) has won its case against the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to ensure there are more voting stations abroad ahead of the 2024 elections, with DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille calling it an "enormous victory".

In February the DA approached the Electoral Court to force the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (Dirco) to open more voting stations abroad.

The Electoral Court confirmed that the decision taken by the IEC not to allow overseas voting at consulates headed by honorary consuls should be set aside.

The party has been battling this issue for several months, following complaints from South Africans residing in Perth, who sought the opening of the honorary consulate as a voting facility.

The High Commission in Canberra claimed that the Perth Consulate could not be utilised for voting as it was “not headed by transferred staff from South Africa”.

Zille said that the DA considered this position to be both unlawful and irrational, arguing that the IEC and Dirco should not differentiate between consulates headed by “transferred staff” and those led by honorary consuls.

Zille noted that the Electoral Court confirmed in its judgment that the word “consulate” in Section 33(3) of the Electoral Act 73, 1998, in fact included a consulate headed by an honorary consul.

“For the more than 40 000 South Africans living in Perth, as well as other cities where this judgment will be effective, this is an enormous victory,” added Zille.

She noted that her party would monitor the IEC to ensure the practical implementation of this decision, as well as to confirm the number and location of all additional voting stations.

“South Africans living in Perth and other relevant cities will still have a chance to move their current registration to these new voting stations through the VEC 10 process up until 22 April 2024,” she explained.