The Electoral Commission (IEC) is pleased to report that the vast majority of the country’s 22 569 voting stations are fully operational and assisting eligible voters to register and to update their registration details ahead of this year’s Municipal Elections.
Over 95 percent of voting stations had reported opening and operating smoothly as at 13h00 today. Most opened on time at 8am but a few delayed openings were reported. Among the reasons for delayed opening of stations were double bookings of community venues, the late arrival of landlords with keys to locked premises, community-related protests and the late withdrawal or arrival of staff.
The Electoral Commission is also pleased with initial reports of a steady stream of voters visiting voting stations to register for the first time and by already registered voters to re-register in new or changed voting districts. There has also been a positive response by previously registered voters to use the weekend as an opportunity to update the voters’ roll with their address details.
Unfortunately, there remain a few areas in which registration activities have been affected by incidents of community protest relating largely to issues of service delivery and municipal demarcation concerns.
In all these areas election officials are working closely with security forces, community leaders, political parties and other stakeholders to ensure citizens’ rights to register to vote are not impacted and that voting stations are operational for registration as soon as possible.
While the Electoral Commission had anticipated some disruptions to registration in areas due to community activism, it is saddened to note that in some instances protestors appear to have targeted the registration stations and threatened IEC officials. In some isolated number of areas IEC officials have had to be withdrawn at the recommendation of the South African Police Service to ensure their safety. They will return to duty as soon as the situation in these areas is brought under control by security forces.
Reports of isolated instances of protest activities affecting a limited number of voting stations were reported in:
- Mahikeng, Taung and Marikana in North West
- Vuwani (Malamulele), Musina, Mogalakwena, Northhampton in Limpopo
- Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga
- Khayelitsha in the Western Cape
- Denver, George Koch, Orange Farm in Gauteng
- Ethekwini and Jozini in Kwazulu-Natal
- Nelson Mandela Bay, Butterworth and OR Tambo in Eastern Cape
- Pampierstad in Northern Cape
- Maluti-a-Phofung in the Free State
The Electoral Commission calls on all communities to allow our officials to operate unhindered and to respect the rights of all citizens to register as voters. Preventing voter registration from proceeding smoothly undermines the very fabric of our democracy.
At the same time, public awareness of this weekend’s registration opportunity appears high with the Electoral Commission reporting significant volumes of visitors to its various interactive and information channels and a steady stream of visitors to voting stations to register.
Such were the volumes that the Electoral Commission website (elections.org.za) experienced delays and technical difficulties for a few hours during the course of the morning. These issues have been resolved and the website is now operating smoothly.
The SMS line (32810) to check registration also experienced backlogs having been sent over 130 000 ID numbers up to 12pm today. The backlog has been resolved and responses are being sent out within seconds.
By 13h00 today the Contact Centre had logged over 10 500 calls, over 1 500 emails, and over 1 300 interactions via social media (Twitter and Facebook) with voters seeking assistance and information. The website had logged over 85 000 visitors.
The Electoral Commission is deeply grateful for the assistance of political leaders who have come out in their numbers throughout the country today to popularise the registration weekend and to encourage voter registration.
The Electoral Commission hopes that this awareness and encouragement results in a high volume of new registrations, re-registrations and updates to address information. The Electoral Commission is hoping for at least 1 million new registrations ahead of the Municipal Elections.
The Electoral Commission reminds voters that they must be in possession of a valid South African ID document (either a green barcoded ID book, a smartcard ID or a valid Temporary Identity Certificate) in order to register. They must also provide details of their address to show they are resident in the voting district in which they are registering. Proof of address is not, however, a prerequisite for registration.
Voters are reminded that they any effort to register outside of their area of ordinary residence in an effort to affect the outcomes of an election constitute a criminal activity and will be prosecuted.
For media queries,please contact:
Kate Bapela
Cell: on 082 600 6386
For media interviews, please email requests to 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
- Contact Centre: 0800 11 8000
