Registration dates for the 2016 Municipal Elections have been announced.
It was announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Thursday in Midrand.
The weekend of March 5 and 6, has been set for new voters to register and for existing voters to update and check their registration details.
The date for the actual elections will be proclaimed by Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) David van Rooyen later this year.
The constitution dictates that Municipal Elections must take place between May and August 2016. It makes provisions for a 90 day window at the conclusion of a five year term of office for public representatives elected in 2011 and in any subsequent by-elections.
“For now the Electoral Commission is urging all participants including eligible voters, political parties and their candidates as well as any independent candidates to ensure they are ready to participate in the elections,” said IEC’s Kate Bapela.
Unlike in national and provincial elections, voting in a municipal election is only allowed at the voting district in which one is registered to vote. It is important for residents to go to their nearest voting station to check their status on one of the allocated dates.
To be eligible to vote, one must be aged 18 years or older and be a South African citizen with a green bar-coded Identity Document.
Vuma Mashinini, chairperson of the IEC assured South Africans that it’s all systems go for this year’s elections.
“Preparations are well underway to ensure the smooth, efficient and effective running of elections this year.
“On behalf of the Commission I wish to assure all South Africans that the systems and processes and the checks and balances painstakingly put in place over the past 20 years continue to endure,” said Mashinini.
Voters who are already registered can SMS their ID number to 32810 (cost R1) to receive confirmation of their voter registration details including the name of their voting station.
