SOUTH Africans across the country will be heading to the polls on 1 November to choose their local, district or metropolitan representative in each of the country’s nine provinces.
This will be the country’s sixth municipal elections since 1994 and for many, it will be the first time they will have an opportunity to vote. KwaZulu-Natal, which is the country’s second most populous province, has 54 municipalities divided into 901 wards and 4 940 voting districts. It currently has 5 324 792 registered voters - 21% of the total current voters’ roll of 25 669 010.
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced the election date following the Constitutional Court’s refusal of the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) application for the postponement of the elections. “After consultation with the IEC, we have come to the determination that this year’s local government elections will be held on 1 November.
These elections are important to advance our young democracy. They mark the 21st anniversary since the establishment of a democratic local government system in the country. This sphere of government remains the hope of people as it is the sphere closest to them and is the coalface of service delivery,” she said.
The official proclamation effectively closes the voters roll. REGISTRATION WEEKEND A physical registration weekend will be held from 18 to 19 September from 8am to 5pm. This will allow eligible voters who are yet to register to vote in the 2021 municipal elections, to do so. Voters will need to take their South African ID book, card, or valid temporary ID, and ensure they comply with all Covid-19 regulations.
Find your voting station at
https://maps.elections.org.za/vsfinder/. Or you can register to vote anytime, anywhere until the proclamation on 20 September on the Voter Portal on
https://registertovote.elections.org.za. Special vote applications have not yet opened.
