Siphelele Nketo
ALL measures have been put in place for the first voter registration weekend set for June 20-21 ahead of the municipal elections on November 4. The voter election drive will allow community members to register to vote and update their details on the IEC system.
According to IEC Harry Gwala regional manager Simon Lingani the 752 IEC staff in the Harry Gwala district will be stationed at 376 voting stations to facilitate the process.
He encouraged youth participation in this voter registration period and said that one mobile voting station in Ixopo has been made available to assist farm communities in Mahafana and Nqalu.
“A mobile station that had been used in Kokstad is no longer effective. People who utilised the station for the past elections will be voting in Extension 7,” Lingani stated.
Due to the added number of wards in Kokstad, voting stations will also increase to 43. The wards will increase from 10 to 11. Lingani appealed to political parties to deploy their party agents during the registration drive.
“The IEC is targeting 14 000 youths in Harry Gwala as well as new voters to participate in the voter registration weekend,” he said.
To prepare for the polls, political parties have started activating their campaigns across platforms to ensure visibility and gain support. In the Kokstad area, political parties have put their posters on electric poles to remind members of the public about the voter registration period. Bradwyn Marnce, the Democratic Alliance Kokstad coordinator, said that the party has activated campaign programmes to gain more voter-support in the Kokstad area. He said the party will increase visibility in wards to assist voters during the voter registration process.
The ANC’s Kokstad sub-regional task team coordinator Thoneka Mngonyama said that party volunteers will be deployed at voting stations and door-to-door programmes to engage members of the public.
Meanwhile, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has also called for people to come out in large numbers and register to vote.
The party’s spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa encouraged young South Africans, aged 16 and above, to register and prepare to participate in future elections.
“Those who will be 18 years old by Election Day will be eligible to cast their vote and should ensure that they register now,” he said, adding that the IFP encourages all registered voters to verify their registration details and voting stations, particularly in areas affected by recent ward demarcation changes.
“It is important that voters confirm their information well in advance to avoid disappointment on Election Day,” he concluded.
Voting stations are set to open from 8am till 5pm.
