Registration weekend was ‘a success’

THE Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) has deemed this past weekend’s registration drive a success, with the bulk of newly registered voters being young people.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said a clear pattern was evident over the registration weekend, with most new voters being young and female.

The IEC was yesterday giving feedback on the registration weekend that took place on September 18 and 19.

Mamabolo said 91% (402 401) of those who registered to vote were between the ages 16 and 29.

The gender demographic breakdown recorded 52% of those who registered were women. Of the total new registered voters, most were from KwaZulu-Natal (358 384,) and Gauteng registered 315 282 with the Eastern Cape registering 240 514.

The voter registration weekend began with a few glitches with the IEC’s online registration system. Some voting stations also reported complaints relating to the voter capturing equipment.

Mamabolo said the glitches had been corrected. He also indicated that back-up servers had been brought in to help cushion the volume experienced online.

The voters roll was sealed from midnight following a proclamation of the elections by the minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma.

This legal step has allowed for amended steps to the IEC’s timetable.

A special voting application process can also be made from September 20 until October 4 at 5pm.

Mamabolo has encouraged the use of special voting to allow for fewer people at voting stations on November 1. Special voting will take place on October 30 and 31.

Other steps to the elections timetable include a certification of the voters roll on September 26. Candidate nomination certificates will be issued by October 1.

On the Constitutional Court ruling, Mamabolo said the IEC welcomed the ruling issued yesterday, which affirmed that the IEC was legally sound in its decision to reopen the candidate nomination process following amendments to its elections timetable.

IEC commissioner Janet Love said: “We respect what the court has decided and accepted that this was what should guide us for the future.”

On the question of bias towards the ANC, Mamabolo said the evidence before the court put the argument to rest.”

Meanwhile, the weekend voter registration displayed a general rejection of parties and some level of intolerance as voters were encouraged to register for the local government elections.

This was the view shared by two political analysts when they assessed the mood among voters at the weekend.

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa was on Saturday met with a hostile reception in Soweto’s Nomzamo township, and a silent protest in Mbombela.

DA leader John Steenhuisen was asked to explain the dilapidated infrastructure in Cape Town’s townships during media interviews, and EFF leader Julius Malema had to contend with ANC members blocking him from visiting voting stations in Pietermaritzburg.

Yesterday, political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said what transpired with the ANC was an indication that there were communities that were openly unhappy with the governing party.

“That shows that our democracy is starting to mature. People are no longer giving the ANC a blank cheque,” he said.

However, Ndlovu said the intolerance tolerance towards the EFF was a terrible indictment of the ANC, and it was not the first time it had happened in KwaZulu-Natal.

Professor Sipho Seepe said there was an expression of anger and protest by voters at the weekend.

“When you have a president of the country going to a place and people make it difficult for him to address them, they are sending a message that you are not our leader.

“They were clear that he is coming again to make promises. Our people are saying come the elections, they will remember,” Seepe said.

Seepe also said the EFF was even harassed on the ground.

“It is unfortunate, but it could be saying you are not different from any other parties that are campaigning. It could also be thuggish elements from other parties not wanting others to campaign,” he said.