Each ward needs to have an average of 16 181 voters
CONSTANTIA KLOOF – The demarcation of wards will come into effect during the local government elections.
The municipal demarcation board (MDB) went ahead to implement changes and splits some of the areas in Wards 85, 89 and 97 despite opposition by residents.
Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) stakeholder management and communications officer Bulelwa Mbali-Khoele confirmed that the demarcation would come into effect during the local government elections. “The new wards will have the newly elected ward councillors to represent them in the municipal council,” she explained.
She further elaborated that after the delimitation of wards, the MDB handed over the new ward boundaries to Independent Electoral Commission to (IEC) start their process of delimiting or creating the voting districts – within which the voting stations will be placed.
The IEC will then conduct voter registration to ensure that voters are registered in the right wards for the local government elections.
She continued that there were IEC offices within the regions, and during the voter registrations these offices will play a big role in the awareness campaigns and registration of individuals in their residences or at these offices.
According to the MDB, the City of Joburg has an increase in the number of wards from 130 to 135. So the other wards had to be amended in order to accommodate the five new wards in the same space.
“This was due to the increase in the number of voters in the City. Each of the wards had to have an average of 16 181 voters with an allowance of 15 per cent below or above the average number. So, if these numbers are exceeded, a ward must be cut and some of its voter population moved to an adjacent ward that can accommodate the excess,” continued Mbali-Khoele.
She concluded that the changes would be addressed by the IEC process of identifying voting districts and voting stations, which was underway.
“Then, there will be voter registration to ensure that all individuals are registered correctly in the wards,” she concluded.
Ward 97 Councillor Jaco Engelbrecht explained that they were reducing his ward to make it smaller due to the number of voters.
He indicated that all areas in his ward were still the same except for Little Falls and Struben’s Valley, which will now fall under Ward 85.
Constantia Kloof voting district which previously fell under Ward 85, will now move to Ward 89.
Ward 85 Councillor Carl Mann said that the MDB went ahead and implemented the changes despite objections from the residents.
“We sent them a petition with objections from the residents of Constantia Kloof, but they went ahead with the changes,” he said.
Ward 89 Councillor Ingrid Reinten explained the MDB was making it harder for communities to connect.
Suburbs in Ward 85: Princess, Helderkruin, Horison Park, Honey Hill, Ontdekkers Park, Carenvale, Kloofendal, Little Falls and Struben’s Valley.
Suburbs in Ward 89: Constantia Park, Constantia Kloof, Hillfox, Flora Cliffe, Fairland Ext 3, Fairland, Allen’s Nek Agricultural Holdings (AH), Panorama AH and Quellerina (part of).
Suburbs in Ward 97: Ruimsig, Reitfontein, Honeydew, Haylin Hills AH, Radiokop, Amarosa AH, Trés Jolie AH, Alsef AH, Uitsig, Wilgeheuwel Ext 3, Wilgeheuwel, Harveston AH, Poortview AH, Kimbult AH, and Aanwins AH.
Details: Municipal Demarcation Board 012 342 2481; Ward 97 Councillor Jaco Engelbrecht, 082 318 6514; Ward 89 Councillor Ingrid Reinten, 083 440 8343; Ward 85 Councillor Carl Mann, 072 616 2025.
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