Ten voter registration sites in three municipalities in the Eastern Cape have experienced disruptions due to service delivery protests.
The IEC says their voting sites in Alfred Nzo, OR Tambo and Sarah Baartman municipalities were closed down by angry residents who gained entry at the sites and changed access padlocks.
Provincial Chief Electoral Officer Khayakazi Magudumana this is infringement of the rights of others to register to vote.
“The challenge we are having with these disruptions its people that may go back home and not register. This is a democratic right, no one has a right to disrupt a voting station and we will not allow it to happen. Everyday, we will definitely request the SAPS to deal with those communities. It is okay to protest but not to block people that want to go and register.”
IEC ready for voter registration weekend:
Meanwhile day one, of the voter registration weekend in Mpumalanga started without any major hiccups.
Spokesperson for the IEC in Mpumalanga, Thanduxolo Chembeni says all stations across the province opened on time.
Chembeni says people can visit the registration stations to register to vote, verify and also re-register if they have changed their location.
He adds that anyone one above 16 years can register to vote but will be eligible to vote at the age of 18.
“We have about 1 611 voting registration stations, we have employed 5 388 staff members who will assist with the registration process in the different voting registration stations.”
