Jewish team will make the elections count

The South African Jewish Board of Deputies’ Make Us Count election observer team is geared-up to monitor the national elections on 7 May.

The Make Us Count team, which is officially accredited by the IEC and will be working hand-in-hand with election officials on the day, is comprised of nearly 100 observers stationed at polls in five cities across three provinces.

This historic interfaith observer group has reached beyond the Jewish community of South Africa to bring together Muslim, Catholic, Anglican and Agnostics observers in its ranks. The group also represents various nationalities including Zimbabwean and Congolese refugees, British and Australian citizens as well as South African both young and old.

Make Us Count election observers have the chance to meaningfully contribute to South Africa’s democratic process while bringing various communities together in the spirit of the first democratic elections of 1994.

The observers will be checking the opening of the polls, dealing with various problems at the stations during the day, and ensure that the polls are closed on time and the counting begins in due process. Some of the team plan to stay at their stations to assist in the counting of the votes the following day.

The monitoring group forms just one aspect of the SA Jewish Board of Deputies’ broader election awareness, education and mobilisation campaign over the past few months which included education drives among the youth, mobilising people to register to vote, promoting the registration of South Africans based overseas, and hosting a series of high-profile political events across the country in the lead up to the elections, including two successful election debates in Johannesburg and Durban.

Details: Alana Baranov 0832752184 or alanabaranov@gmail.com