Mpumalanga has been one of the provinces in which the IEC successfully managed to conduct voter registrations without incidents as compared to other provinces in the country.
It is for this reason therefore that COPE in Mpumalanga hereby congratulates the IEC for a job well done this past weekend.
We have heard of unfortunate incidents including where IEC material was destroyed as well as where communities boycotted the voter registrations citing all sorts of reasons that include the people of Malamulele in Limpopo where they were said to be angry because their demands to have an independent municipality has not been met.
Another incident in which people got themselves arrested after they allegedly damaged IEC material happened in the North West province.
COPE in Mpumalanga wishes to also thank the people who went to register for the elections and turned in large numbers although not as anticipated.
“The people must not be shy to register to vote because that is their democratic right. The people are encouraged to make sure that they are registered with the IEC in order to be able to vote during the country’s National Elections on May 7,” said COPE’s national organizer, Mr Sizile Ndlovu today (Monday, February 10, 2014).
He said the people must also decide on the political parties they would like to vote for because they saw how the current government has been run since the new dispensation came into effect in 1994.
“Twenty years into democracy we are still faced with many challenges be it the lack of jobs, lack of adequate housing, damaged roads, lack of water etc,” said Ndlovu.
COPE will continue to consult with the people on the ground through campaigns such as door to door so as to make sure that people are encouraged to go and vote when the time arrives.
