Rédaction Africa Links 24 with sabcnews.com
Published on 2024-02-03 12:29:55
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced that South Africans have shown enthusiasm on the first day of the national registration weekend. The Electoral Commission reported that registration got off seamlessly with over 99% of stations operational within minutes of the commencement time of 8 am. Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, Masego Shiburi, stated that in the initial hours of the two-day registration weekend, an impressive 304,221 voters visited voting stations nationwide. Of these, 55,019 were persons who were registering for the first time. The early turnout not only sets a positive tone for the registration period but also serves as a testament that citizens remain engaged in the affairs of the country.
Western Cape
The IEC in the Western Cape confirmed that it’s all systems go as over 4,600 IEC staff members have been deployed to all voting districts. There are over 1,500 voting districts in the province, 26 of them being temporary structures. Provincial Electoral Officer, Michael Hendrikse, expressed satisfaction with their progress so far on the first day of voter registration. He encouraged first-time voters to register and advised those already registered to update their details to avoid disappointment when arriving at the wrong voting station during the upcoming election.
North West
The IEC in the North West province announced that 10 of its voting stations in the Bojanala District did not open on time due to community protests. The commission stated that 9 voting stations in the Moses Kotane local municipality were affected, and one in Rustenburg. The province has 1,738 voting stations.
Johannesburg
In the south of Johannesburg, the voter registration weekend had a slow start, with residents at Slovo Park Informal Settlement trickling into the voting station. The community, which had experienced violent protests over the past year, expressed concern that their demand for the upgrading of the informal settlement has not been met.
Limpopo
Some people who are registering to vote for the first time expressed confidence that their votes will count. One of them is Donald Lamola, who registered in Sekgakgapeng, Mokopane in Limpopo. He stated that he is excited to exercise his right to vote, as he had previously thought that his vote was not important. However, he has now realized the importance of his vote and is eager to make a change through his participation in the democratic process.
Overall, the national registration weekend saw a positive turnout with a significant number of first-time voters and citizens updating their details. The IEC continues to encourage eligible voters to participate in the registration process to ensure that they are able to exercise their democratic right in the upcoming election.
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