Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Register for say in elections, says Zuma
AHEAD of this weekend’s voter registration drive, President Jacob Zuma yesterday urged South Africans to ensure to be ready to vote in this year’s local government elections.
“I wish to call upon all eligible citizens to go out in their numbers to their voting districts and stations to register or to update their information, so that they are ready for this important democratic process,” he said.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has designated today and tomorrow for voter reg- istration before the upcoming elections.
This weekend, more than 22 000 stations will be in operation, 1 700 more than in 2011.
Zuma said the weekend was for anyone needing to register as a first-time voter, those who needed to re-register because they had moved homes, or had been affected by changes in ward or voting districts.
He said all eligible voters should visit their local stations to update their records with the IEC.
The local stations will be open from 8am to 5pm on both days and people should take along their South African identity documents – either a green barcoded ID book, a smartcard ID or a valid temporary identity certificate.
Those needing to collect their ID documents from Home Affairs could also do so between the same times today and tomorrow, as the department had aligned its opening hours with voter registration.
“I urge all South Africans to go and register or to verify their status so as to fulfil this important duty as citizens of a democratic country,” Zuma said.
“We also encourage young people who are turning 18 years old this year and others to go out in great numbers to register to vote so that that they can have their say in who governs our municipalities.”
Zuma was scheduled to visit the station at the Ntolwane Primary School in KwaNxamalala in Nkandla, KwaZulu- Natal, this morning.
“Let us all go out in numbers to our voting stations this weekend,” he said. – ANA