The Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) CEO, Sy Mamabolo, has stressed the importance of the electoral process and registering to vote.
Saturday marked the first leg of this weekend’s registration drive, where members of the public have been urged to visit voting stations to update their information or register to vote ahead of the 2019 general elections.
More than 70 000 election officials have been stationed at over 22 000 voting stations nationwide.
Mamabolo says he is optimistic that voter registration will continue without incidents Sunday.
“Let us really use this opportunity today. We are open now until five. We would do our democracy well if we can get people out to voting stations. Voting is a constitutional democracy and there are a plethora of mechanisms available, both constitutionally and legally, for people to participate in the decision making processes. The electoral process is one such public mode of public participation. It’s the most important of all in my view because you are able to shape the political direction of the country.”
However, Saturday the IEC noted that a handful of stations were forced to close due to a range of incidents.
Affected areas included Gauteng, the Free State, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, North West and the Northern Cape.
On-going protests over municipal demarcation in Vuwani affected 10 voting stations on Saturday.
Mamabolo says, “We had some challenges of a logistical nature but we were able to open and operate in Vuwani. Our operations continued in Vuwani and that is why we want to thank the community leaders and hope that will be the case today as well. Our staff is there to do what they need to do. There was no decision regarding another registration weekend. This is the registration weekend. The commission will have to take that decision at an appropriate moment.”
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