Seven wards are up for grabs in KwaZulu-Natal as five municipalities are holding by-elections on Wednesday.
Three wards – wards 15, 22 and 30 in the uMhlathuze Local Municipality at Richards Bay and the other by-elections are in eThekwini’s ward 110, ward 11 of Nquthu, ward 14 of oPhongolo and ward 2 of eNdumeni in the Dundee area.
More than 18 000 people registered to vote in the ward.
SABC News Simphiwe Makhanya reports:
Some political parties would want to test their support in the run-up to the local government elections at the end of October.
This is the last round of countrywide by-elections.
The DA, IFP, ANC, EFF and Minorities of South Africa are among the parties that are contesting the eThekwini Municipality’s ward 110.
In Phoenix, north of Durban, residents say they want a councillor who will be able to work with community members.
“We want a councillor that will form a committee that will ensure community safety as sometimes children go missing while they are playing on the street,” says one voter.
Another voter complained over the shortage of clinics; and hopes that more schools will be built in the community as many children have to travel far distances to get access to schooling.
Limpopo
At Sengatane village, outside of Polokwane, one of the issues affecting voters are water shortages. Several suburbs in Polokwane have been hit by water shortages due to operational challenges as SABC’s Lutendo Bobodi reports:
Eastern Cape
By-elections are also taking place in seven wards in the Eastern Cape. These include the King Sabata Dalinyebo municipality, Port St Johns, Matatiele, Intsika Yethu and Mnquma.
A ward in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro is also being contested and the Amahlati municipality.
Our reporter Lubabalo Dada is in Keiskammahoek in the Amahlati municipality:
Electronic registration
Meanwhile, the Independent Electoral Commission says it is considering electronic registration as one of the modalities for future elections.
It says an announcement will be made soon in this regard. IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo responded to questions from members of Parliament’s Home Affairs Committee during a virtual briefing. The Commissioners and IEC officials appeared before the committee to brief it about its 2019/2020 annual report.
Mamabolo explains, “It is correct that the commission is considering additional modalities of voter registration and we confirm that there will be an electronic registration modality introduced,- supported by safeguards to ensure that the person who actually registered is the person who claims today. So there are safeguards that will be inbuilt into that programme. An announcement in that regard will be made by the commission.” -Additional reporting by Mercedes Besent
