The Electoral Commission (IEC) in the Free State will conduct voter registration over two days, Saturday, 27 July, and Sunday for the upcoming municipal ward by-elections in the Mangaung Metro Municipality (MMM).
This is for wards 18, 20, 22 and 25 in Bloemfontein held by DA councillors, Dave McKay (Ward 18), Dulandi Leech (Ward 22) and Werner Pretorius (Ward 20). The three took up positions in the Free State Legislature. Their appointment followed the party securing seven of 30 seats in the provincial legislature after the national and provincial elections on 29 May. By-election for Ward 25 is due to Rossouw Botes being shifted to a PR Cllr position in the Mangaung Council, requiring a by-election for a candidate to fill the position in Ward 25.
Voters registering on Saturday and Sunday will be elegible to participate on 11 September.
Voting stations in the respective wards will be open from 08:00 to 17:00 to allow all to register, as well as to verify that voters’ registration details are correct and to provide any updates to their address details.
Mmathabo Rasengane, the IEC’s provincial spokesperson, said voters would also need to complete the data field pertaining to their physical home address on registration – or provide sufficient particularities of their place of residence.
“Voters are warned that it is a criminal offence to register and vote in a ward in which they are not ordinarily a resident,” said Rasengane.
She said political party candidates who will contest the upcoming by-election in the Mangaung Metro would be announced upon completion of the voter registration process.
Rasengane said special voting would take place at voting stations, as well as through home visits on 10 September between 08:00 and 17:00.
She advised voters who wish to apply for special votes to do so at their local IEC office between 26 and 30 August, during office hours.
This upcoming by-election will be the second biggest in the Mangaung Metro, closely following the one held last year.
Last year’s by-election came about after the ANC had sacked seven representatives, apparently punishing them for voting with opposition parties.
However, the ruling party retained wards 7, 29, 49 and 50 to continue running the municipality’s affairs with 51 seats in the council of 101.
In the previous by-election, youths and women were in the minority of those who have entered as candidates.
According to data compiled by the IEC, 27 candidates registered for last year’s by-election.
Of these, nine were women and three senior citizens, while the rest were younger than 40 years. The youngest woman amongst the candidates was Nyakallo Jeannette Khatlako (22) of the Active African Christians United Movement (AACUM). In total, 13 young people had entered for last year’s by-election.
