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As the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) embarks on its final voter registration drive this weekend, we again urge South Africans to ensure they will be eligible to cast their ballots in the November 4 local elections.
It is no secret that our local government sector, from big to small municipalities, has, with very few exceptions, been cursed with poor leadership. This has seen whole municipalities falling into progressive decay — negatively affecting residents’ quality of life and, in many cases, undermining much-needed business confidence.
Collapsing infrastructure has raised the cost of living and doing business in many of our cities and towns as companies and households are forced to find alternatives to services the authorities ought to provide reliably, such as electricity and water.
To change that, citizens will have to do two things: ensure that they are registered and then make sure they know their allocated voting station. This simple pre-confirmation will help to avert last-minute confusion and facilitate the smooth running of the elections, with less aggravation for voters.
Casting our votes enables us to become co-creators of a better tomorrow for our country
The reasons for a growing disinclination to vote, shown by a turnout at the last local elections of just over 45%, are understandable given local government failures. But those failures are the very reason to vote: to remove councillors who have failed to deliver on their promises and make choices that are more reflective of the public’s aspirations for a better future.
We encourage all eligible South Africans to go out today and do what is necessary for them to be able to exercise their civic right come election day. Casting our votes enables us to become co-creators of a better tomorrow for our country.
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