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‘Proof of address not required’, says IEC as more than 300 000 people register to vote
There are currently more than 26 million eligible voters on the voters' roll.
A voter places his ballot in the box at the Union Building voting station in Pretoria on 1 November 2021. Picture: Jacques Nelles
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has urged to update their details and register to vote ahead of the 2024 general elections.
The two-day voter registration weekend got underway on Saturday.
More than 23 200 registration stations have opened across all provinces, which will work between 8am and 5pm on both days.
There are currently more than 26 million eligible voters on the voters’ roll – including 14 million unregistered youth.
Registration turnout
Briefing the media on Saturday, IEC deputy chief electoral officer (CEO) Masego Sheburi confirmed that 90% of the stations opened on time, while a majority of the 68 000 staff recruited to assist with the registrations showed up.
“In isolated cases, we have had to replace persons at sort notice but that did not hamper the opening or the operation of the voting stations,” he said.
Sheburi said at least 326 000 visited the stations across the country to register by 11:30am.
“This sets a good tone for the two days of voter registration. The turnout is a testament to the strength of our democracy and we urge every South African to cease the moment,” he told reporters.
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The IEC deputy CEO said the upgraded voter management devices (VMD) had made it more efficient to capture the details of eligible voters
“Our voter management devices have captured thousands of registrations even in areas challenged by connectivity issues. They were captured on the device and once we can established a connectivity to the GSM, those records will be transmitted.”
He said 26 000 people registered to vote the IEC’s online portal on Saturday after 50 000 registered the day before.
“For those voters who are yet to receive confirmation of the finalised online application, we confirm that the Electoral Commission is seized with those activities to clear the exceptions. An exception would be where a voter had uploaded an image of their ID document, however, that ID is either not clear or too faint that our technology can’t read it. We have capacity to manually look at those instances and to finalise the registrations on behalf of the voters.”
Watch the briefing below:
Sheburi highlighted that only an ID was needed to register to vote, therefore, proof of address was not a requirement.
He also said eligible voters without IDs can visit Home Affairs branches across the country to get new documents or a temporary identification certificate.
The IEC deputy CEO further confirmed that the commission would provide a breakdown registration after the weekend.
“This will be in terms of age, demographics, stations, provinces and municipalities at which the registrations have been harvested. We are not able to do that now.”
Malema in Soweto
Meanwhile, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema believes the youth is determine to vote.
“My report is that every where it is young people who have opened stations as the first time voters so this perception that the youth doesn’t want to register is incorrect,” he said on Saturday.
Malema campaigned for his party in Soweto, where he said was ANC’s “homebase”.
“Soweto must be a contested terrain, this is the ANC base and you can’t want to remove the ANC without going to where it’s rooted. The people of Soweto need to conscientised that is not the ANC they associated with during the struggle. It’s the most corrupt ANC that has turned against its own people,” he said.
READ MORE: EFF ‘masters of ideological tactics’, attracting disgruntled ANC members
The EFF leader said his party was the “practical threat” to the ANC in Soweto.
He added that it was growing in the area, dismissing the suggestion that the Red Berets have made electoral losses in previous elections.
“We know that we want to take Gauteng and Soweto is going to play a critical role.”
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