The two-day voter registration for local government elections opens at 8 am Saturday with 23 000 stations staying open until 5 pm.
The Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) this week said in preparation for voter registration it had trained 8 899 registration officials and had improved its IT systems.
Earlier this week the IEC assured South Africans that it was ready for this weekend’s voter registration. The IEC has more than 23 000 voting stations across the country. |
The IEC said it was also taking all possible measures to ensure the registration process meets Covid-19 safety protocols.
However, some reports quote medical experts as saying the more than 120 000 disinfectant foggers that the IEC has reportedly ordered were not necessary.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, the leader of the African National Congress, will lead members of his party’s national executive committee on their “Open Voter Registration” weekend campaign.
The ANC said its voter registration campaign will include all nine provinces and nearly all municipal districts.
The ANC said its campaign was about mobilising all potential voters to register for the 1 November 2021 local government elections.
“All eligible voters are encouraged to use the open voter registration weekend to check, update and verify their status on the voters’ roll. This will also provide an opportunity for first-time voters to register for the elections.”
The Democratic Alliance (DA) says it is “ready for voter registration weekend”.
“Our party is prepared, our structures are energised and across South Africa, we stand ready to help and assist voters to Register and Re-register,” said DA leader John Steenhuisen on Friday.
“Thousands of DA activists, public representatives, leaders, and staff are ready to hit the ground early tomorrow morning as voting stations open.
“We will be present and ready in our numbers to welcome voters to voting stations.
Steenhuisen said for the first time in the DA’s history, the party has fielded a candidate in every ward across the country.
“This is a significant symbol of our complete national footprint,” said Steenhuisen.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) was campaigning in the Northern Cape ahead of the voter registration Weekend.
EFF mobilisation teams were seen distributing flyers at Gandhi Square on Friday in Johannesburg.
EFF leader Julius Malema will be campaigning in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday morning.
The EFF Commander in Chief will also take his campaign to Phoenix, where racial tensions came to the fore during the unrest in July.
Meanwhile, authorities said law enforcement agencies had taken steps to ensure voter registration was safe.
