Registration weekend progress
The vast majority of registration stations opened on schedule at 8am today for the final weekend registration drive and officials reported a smooth start to registration in all but a handful of the country’s 22 263 voting stations.
In most cases it was the recent rains which caused the most challenges with stations opening late as election officials struggled to reach remote rural areas on impassable roads. In Limpopo in the Musina and Mutale areas officials had to wade across a flooded low-level bridge to reach registration stations while elsewhere in the North West in the Kagisano and Molopo areas, official vehicles became bogged down in mud and had to be rescued by security forces.
Flooding also affected the delivery of registration materials in the Northern Cape in the Joe Morolong municipality. Voting stations were also reported open and operational in most areas of recent community protest.
The most serious incident of protest action is reported in Bekkersdal in Gauteng where two (2) voting stations had to be closed after opening on schedule today when petrol bombs were thrown at them and registration staff were threatened. The Electoral Commission is working closely with stakeholders in monitoring the situation there and will restore registration operations at the earliest opportunity.
The Electoral Commission is grateful for the cooperation of communities and political parties in most areas to ensure that eligible voters are able to register.
The Electoral Commission wishes to call upon all unregistered voters to make use of this final registration weekend ahead of the national and provincial elections already scheduled for 7 May 2014.
To register voters must visit their correct voting station where they ordinarily live with a valid South African ID document – either a green barcoded ID, a new smartcard ID or a temporary ID certificate issued by the Department of Home Affairs. Home Affairs offices are also open 8am to 5pm this weekend to assist with collection of IDs and issuing temporary ID certificates. The Home Affairs call centre number is 0800 60 11 90.
To find out the location of their correct voting station eligible voters can:
- Use the Voting Station Finder APP on www.elections.org.za. This APP has recently been upgraded and enhanced to make it user friendly;
- Call the IEC Call Centre on 0800 11 8000. The Call Centre is open from 7am to 9pm today and tomorrow.
Voters who are already registered can check their registration details including which voting station they are registered at by SMSing their ID number to 32810. A high resolution version of the photograph below is available on request for use with the article. Please send the request to spokesperson@elections.org.za.
For media queries:
Kate Bapela
Cell: 082 600 6386
For media interview
E-mail: spokesperson@elections.org.za
You can also find the IEC on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/IECSouthAfrica
Twitter: @IECSouthAfrica
You Tube: www.youtube.com/user/IECSouthAfrica
Mxit: iecsouthafrica
Call Centre: 0800 11 8000
