Patients who have been admitted to hospital won’t be able to cast their votes.
Some patients at the Doctor Harry Surty Hospital at Upington in the Northern Cape say this is not fair and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) also needs to look at visiting hospitals in future.
29-year-old Siphokazi Ndzuzo was admitted to hospital on Monday night.
She registered to vote, but won’t be able to cast her vote now.
“It doesn’t feel nice because my vote would have made a difference but since I am in hospital I won’t go and vote. I thought maybe the members of the IEC could come inside the hospital so that people like us who are lying in bed can also be able to vote,” says Ndzuzo.
Siphokazi Ndzuzo and many other patients in hospital won’t be able to cast their vote. Ndzuzo have been admitted to Dr. Harry Surty hospital in Upington last night, and didn’t apply for a Special Vote. #sabcnews #SAElections2019 pic.twitter.com/9vFDwvzzB2
— Reginald (@WitbooiReggie) May 7, 2019
Another patient, 57-year-old Johannes Strauss was admitted on Sunday.
He too registered, but will also miss the opportunity to exercise his democratic right.
The IEC however doesn’t make provision for those who have been admitted to hospital and didn’t apply for a special vote.
The IEC’s Northern Cape Manager Bonolo Modise says: “If you find yourself in hospital, unfortunately as the commission we won’t be able to visit you, because we don’t make provision for that because it’s not an arrangement that we have. If you can’t make it to the station on Wednesday, it means that you will miss out,” says Modise.
Voting stations will open at 07:00 and close at 21:00 on Wednesday.
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