WITH the 2014 national and provincial elections less than four months away, the drive is on to get all eligible South African citizens to register to vote.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and political parties will offer a convenient method to all voters to register during the final voter registration this weekend, 8 and 9 February. All voting stations across South Africa will be open for this purpose.
The Democratic Alliance in West Durban is no exception. Their councillors and volunteers will be on hand to assist with important information and help those who need to be transported to their registration stations.
According to Ward 18 councillor, Tim Brauteseth, the rate of unregistered potential voters is alarming. He said there are approximately four million unregistered voters in KZN alone and at least one million of them are first time voters.
“It is a massive privilege to vote and yet many citizens do no take it seriously. Politics affects every aspect of our daily lives – surely we want a say in who represents us and makes decisions for us. We must all wake up, register and make our voices heard,” urged Brauteseth.
He is calling on all unregistered voters to make use of this opportunity, especially first time voters.
“South Africa is at critical crossroads in our history. This is your future and you should be involved in the process of electing your leaders,” added Brauteseth.
Potential voters can SMS their ID number to 32810 or visit www.elections.org.za and enter their ID number on the IEC site. You will then be informed of where you are registered. If you no longer live near that voting station or if you are not registered at all, you will need to register.
Unregistered voters who have no access to transport or are unsure as to where to register, can contact Brauteseth on ward18@ethekwini.org and he and his team will assist in locating voting stations or arranging transport.
