KABOKWENI – According to the provincial Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the registration conducted over the weekend went smoothly.
The spokesperson for the IEC,
Mr Sibusiso Nkosi said, “We would like to thank all the people who responded positively to the call to register.”
The commission said it didn’t experience any challenges since it was a smooth operation with a vast majority of stations opening in time.
In the province, according to the IEC, about 77 268 people registered to vote.
Mpumalanga News visited different stations in the area and interacted with people who were registering, while others were checking whether their names still appeared on the voters list. This publication noted at some stations, registration was going at a slow pace, which indicated that people were not coming in numbers like on voting day, as it was expected that the born-free generation (born in 1994) would come in numbers.
This reporter interacted with those who used this opportunity and they voiced different views.
As Noluvuyo Mngwenya said, “I didn’t want to miss this opportunity as I will be exercising my right for the first time. I believe that my vote will make a huge difference because my voice will be heard as a young person.”
Some of the born-frees didn’t see a need to register, as Samukelisiwe Zulu said, “I know my peers are so excited because it’s time.
“I’m not going to register because I don’t think my voice will be heard. As a young person, we are sidelined in South Africa and it’s even worse for those who are not involved in politics. It’s not all of us who have an interest in that.We must not run away from reality, just like in voting stations, those who are employed in the registration processes are people who are employed in government, instead of training ordinary young people who are unemployed.”
She added that even opposition parties were not going to make a difference. “I don’t trust them because they are also power hungry as they keep on promising us a better life,” she concluded.
