Pretoria - There are less than 12 hours before voting stations across the country open their doors to the millions of registered voters, who want to have their say on who should run their municipalities.
Over 26 million voters are registered on the national voters' roll, representing about 77% of the eligible voting population.
Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) Chairperson Glen Mashinini on Tuesday evening said the commission is satisfied that it has done everything in its power to prepare for the 2016 Local Government Elections taking place on Wednesday.
“The Electoral Commission is confident that all preparations are in place for a free, fair and peaceful 2016 Municipal Election. All that remains is for all 26.3 million registered voters to come out and cast their votes tomorrow,” said Mashinini.
22 612 voting stations will open for voting at 7am and close at 7pm. However, no voter will be turned away and voters who are at voting stations at 7pm but have not yet had an opportunity to vote will be allowed to cast their ballots.
“Voters are reminded that each ballot paper must be stamped on the reverse and unstamped ballots will not be counted. Voters are also reminded that it is prohibited to take a photograph of their marked ballot paper.
“This is essential to protect the secrecy and integrity of their vote and the process. We encourage voters to rather take a picture of their marked thumb to show they have voted and to post these on social media with the hashtag #ivoted to encourage further participation,” he said.
Tight security measures
Mashinini said while the IEC is satisfied with preparations, a few concerns remain.
“While the vast majority of the country has seen a peaceful build up to the elections, there have been isolated areas marked by violence and protest action. The Electoral Commission appeals to all citizens to uphold the values of our Constitution and the rule of law and to make their voices heard through the ballot.
“Security forces will be deployed throughout the country and especially in high risk areas to ensure that voting is allowed to proceed unimpeded. The Electoral Commission reminds all voters and citizens that it is against the law to hold protest marches, demonstrations or any political event from midnight tonight to midnight tomorrow,” he said.
Weather conditions
Mashinini also expressed concerns over inclement weather after the South African Weather Service has forecast mixed fortunes for the country tomorrow with cold, wet and windy weather in the south and east and cold conditions in the interior.
“Gail force winds are expected in both the Eastern Cape and Western Cape starting late today as a cold front moves into the interior of the country from south-west to north-east.
“The cold front will be accompanied by rain in the southern and south eastern parts of the country. The coastal corridor from Cape Town to East London will experience 60 percent chance of rain for most of tomorrow. Durban is likely to experience rain in the late afternoon towards the closing of voting stations,” said Mashinini.
Light snowfall has also been forecast for Sutherland, Beaufort, Pietermaritzburg, Rhodes, Barkley East, Mount Fletcher, Qacha’s Nek and Zastron.
“The Electoral Commission appeals to voters to dress warmly and appropriately for the weather, especially in the early morning and evening,” he said.
Political campaigning
The IEC has appealed for parties to allow voters some respite from campaigning to reflect on their choice, as campaigns have been run for months ahead of elections.
“This is not to say that voting is a sombre occasion but parties should respect the privacy and choice of voters on Election Day – along with the provisions of the electoral legislation which prevents political gatherings on Election Day and any political activity within voting stations,” he said.
He called on all stakeholders to ensure that these elections are free and fair and that the outcome reflects the will of the people of South Africa.
Asked what his message is to the voter, Mashinini said: “You are both the key participants and the key recipients of the outcome of these elections. Only by voting and by voting with your own interests at heart will the outcome reflect your will."
Earlier in the day, political party leaders visited the National Results Operation Centre (ROC) in Pretoria to check if all measures are in place to ensure that elections are free, fair and transparent. They, including South African President Jacob Zuma, have expressed confidence that all will go well tomorrow. - SAnews.gov.za
