• AFRINIC invalidated its board election over disputed proxy votes, erasing legitimate ballots
  • Cloud Innovation and others now demand a complete governance overhaul

Proxy voting scandal cancels June election

In June 2025, AFRINIC attempted to hold its long-delayed board election under a hybrid in-person and online system. However, the process quickly descended into controversy. Numerous attendees arrived with proxy forms covering hundreds of votes—one delegate reportedly carried more than 800 proxies, raising alarm about authenticity and due diligence. Despite AFRINIC having under 2,400 eligible members, some of the submitted documents appeared forged. Instead of resolving the issue narrowly, the court-appointed receiver annulled the entire election, citing one “unverified proxy,” resulting in hundreds of valid votes being discarded.

This act sparked outrage. South Africa’s Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA) filed a criminal complaint, denouncing AFRINIC’s proxy rules as “institutionally reckless” and “anti-democratic.” The outcome also deeply disillusioned many members who had voted in good faith. Observers criticised AFRINIC’s inconsistent enforcement of its own bylaws and warned that its current processes made democratic voting “unworkable.”

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Institutional trust in AFRINIC is collapsing

AFRINIC’s election annulment is not just a procedural failure—it exposes the organisation’s inability to conduct basic governance functions. With its bylaws selectively enforced, its processes legally contested, and its credibility badly damaged, critics now label AFRINIC a failed registry. Cloud Innovation, AFRINIC’s third-largest member, argues that the institution is beyond reform. The company has formally petitioned for AFRINIC to be wound up, stating that “democratic elections are now impossible” under its structure.

Meanwhile, ICANN’s posture grows increasingly complex. The global internet oversight body has both criticised AFRINIC’s instability and distanced itself from taking direct action. But its silence on the election collapse raises questions about whether ICANN will continue to support a body seen as incapable of fulfilling its mandate. At stake is more than internal politics—it’s the future of Africa’s IP address governance, digital autonomy, and trust in bottom-up, regional internet control.