SA urged to exercise their right to vote

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Pretoria – Cabinet has called on all registered voters to exercise their hard won democratic right and elect the local government representatives of their choice in the upcoming 2016 Local Government Elections.

Cabinet said in a statement on Thursday the Constitutional Court judgment in the matter of Mhlophe versus the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) paves the way for the local government elections to proceed using the voter’s roll certified by the IEC following the proclamation of the election date.

In the judgment, the court gave the IEC 18 months to rectify the voters roll through the addition of voters' addresses, where are available.

Government, said Cabinet, will work with the IEC and all other stakeholders to ensure that the judgment is fully implemented.

Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Local Government Election, Des van Rooyen, earlier this month welcomed the judgement.

He said it strengthens the country’s constitutional democracy by affirming the right of millions of South Africans to vote as well as the importance of rule of law and the integrity of electoral processes. – SAnews.gov.za