Mbombela - More than 1 500 voting districts will be opened across Mpumalanga at the weekend to give prospective voters a chance to register for the upcoming local government elections.
Provincial spokesperson for the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Sibusiso Nkosi, said voter registration would take place on 5 and 6 February at 1 565 voting districts in the province's 18 local municipalities.
"All voting stations will be opened from 8am to 5pm and prospective voters are requested to visit their voting stations to register, re-register or to check if their names appear on the voters' roll of their respective voting districts," said Nkosi.
He said all South Africans over the age of 16 can register to be on the voters' roll, but will only be able to vote once they turn 18.
"It is very important that everyone visits their voting district to ensure that their names appear on the voters' roll, as only voters registered in the same voting district will be allowed to vote. The reason being that in municipal elections, people will be voting for their ward councillors and therefore each voter must vote in his or her ward," he said.
South Africans who are registered and want to check their registration details may call the IEC toll free from a landline on 0800 11 8000 between 8am and 5pm or send an SMS with their ID number to 32810 on all cell phone networks. Go to http://www.buanews.gov.za/elections_index.html for more info and the latest news on the elections.
"Potential voters have to register in person and are reminded to take their green bar-coded Identity Document (ID) with them when they go to register," added Nkosi.
Mpumalanga MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Madala Masuku, has also called upon all prospective voters to register this weekend.
"We are encouraging all South African citizens who are eligible to vote to make use of the opportunity provided by the IEC to register for the local government elections. If you do not register or do not appear in your district voters' roll, you will not be able to vote in the forthcoming local government elections," said Masuku.
The MEC said it was every South African's democratic right to vote to make their voices heard on matters impacting directly on them at local government level.
Masuku also called upon all those who have applied for their ID books to go collect them from their respective Home Affairs offices in order to vote.
