Inquiry recommends delay to South African local government elections

FILE PHOTO: Religious leaders carrying South African flags walk near a looted shopping mall as the country deployed the army to quell unrest linked to the jailing of former South African President Jacob Zuma, in Vosloorus, South Africa, July 14, 2021. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - An inquiry recommended on Tuesday delaying local government elections planned in South Africa on Oct. 27, saying it doubted they can be free or fair during the coronavirus pandemic.

It was not immediately clear what impact a delay would have on the outcome of the elections. The governing African National Congress (ANC) is widely expected to win them though recent unrest has highlighted frustration with its achievements.