According to Ruth Zulu, IEC supervisor at the Bakerton voting station, there were quite a few people who have relocated and came to give their correct address.
Payneville resident Thabo Diale (53) came to update his information and to provide the correct address.
Bakerton resident Usha Lalla, registered for the first time and looks forward to casting her vote on August 3.
Kate Bapela, IEC spokesperson, says they started sending out text messages to approximately 5.3-million registered voters last Thursday, for whom there were no address details on the voters’ roll.
“This was done to update and enhance the voters’ roll in time for the upcoming municipal elections,” she says.
This initiative follows the Constitutional Court ruling in November last year that a voter’s address or sufficient proof of residence was essential to ensure that the voter is registered in the correct voting district.
The messages inform these voters that no address is currently available for them in the IEC records and urge them to visit their voting station over the weekend to update their address details.
There were appropriately 6.92-million voters without any address details on the voters’ roll.
Bapela says the IEC was only able to source cellphone numbers for 5.3-million voters for whom they have no addresses.
“We will continue to run radio adverts broadcasting the need for voters to check their registration and address details,” she says.
She says voters can still register and check their address details at their local municipal electoral office, or register online on www.elections.org.za to check their details.
Bapela says people can also still SMS their ID number to 32810 (R1/SMS), use the USSD by dialling *120*432# or contact the IEC on 080 011 8000, to register.
