Government's Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Elections is all geared for Wednesday's municipal elections, says Acting Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Nathi Mthethwa.

Mthethwa said the ministers represented in the IMC lead portfolios have confirmed their state of readiness and all systems were in place for peaceful, free and fair elections.

While Mthethwa published the proclamation announcing the elections in March, effectively handing over all elections-related processes to the Independent Electoral Committee (IEC), the IMC, which he chaired, still remained responsible for the overall coordination and monitoring of all support activities from Government.

The IMC is made up of CoGTA and the departments of Home Affairs, Police Services, Defence and Military Veterans, State Security, as well as the Presidency, the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB), the South Africa Local Government Association (SALGA) and the IEC.

Stakeholders in the IMC and related institutions have reported readiness in all provinces in ensuring proper processes and systems before, during and after the elections, CoGTA said.

Provincial Governments have also reported readiness in complying with all legislative requirements in preparations for the election and to continue supporting municipalities in ensuring readiness, the department added.

"As a result of the re-determination of municipal boundaries and the delimitation of wards by the MDB, the post 18 May Local Government landscape will usher in a total number of 278 municipalities (previously 283) and the number of wards increasing from 3 895 to 42 77," the department said.