The Pretoria High Court will hear on Wednesday an application by the Freedom Front Plus to block the presidency from proclaiming the date of the national elections.

Judge Aubrey Ledwaba postponed the matter to Wednesday.

The FF Plus brought an application on behalf of Willem Richter, a South African living in England, to interdict the presidency from proclaiming the election date.

Quintus Pelser, legal counsel for Richter, told the court that he had received "assurance" from the presidency that the proclamation of the election date "was not with government printers".

The party argued that if the president were to proclaim the election date it would make it difficult for South Africans abroad to give notice to the Independent Electoral Commission within the 15-day time frame.

"We don't have a problem with the announcement," said FF Plus spokesman Willie Spies, but the party was concerned that should the date be proclaimed, there would not be sufficient time for those abroad to give the IEC sufficient notice of their intention to vote.

Earlier Judge Piet Ebersohn ruled that registered South Africans living abroad be allowed to vote as the current legislation infringed on their rights.

The court ruled that the Electoral Act "limited" the casting of votes to people temporarily living abroad.

The Independent Electoral Commission was also ordered to change its voting procedures so as to allow South Africans living abroad to vote.

By Monday afternoon, the IEC could not be reached for comment while the Democratic Alliance said it was encouraged by Ebersohn's ruling.