IEC says new voter registration numbers disappointing in eThekwini

About 80 percent of eligible voters who visited voting stations in the eThekwini Metro on the first day of the final voter weekend registration before the local government elections in November, were existing voters.

Electoral Commission (IEC) regional manager in the metro Siboniso Nkomo says over 31 500 people visited voting stations on Saturday.

He says the majority of voters went to update their details or register a new residential address.

Nkomo says the number of young people who registered to vote is disappointing.

“They are not where we would want them to be. About 5 889 people falling within that category came into our voting stations as new registrations. That number, if you look at the total population of eThekwini and the numbers we are told by Stats SA qualify in that age gap 16 and 35, is less than celebratory.”

Meanwhile in Gauteng, the IEC was encouraged by the number of people who visited registration stations.

While many residents visited Home Affairs offices to collect or apply for identity documents (ID) before registering, others remained hesitant, saying they have lost confidence in the electoral process due to ongoing service delivery challenges in their communities.

Soweto residents were among those who braved the cold weather in the morning to visit Home Affairs offices and voting stations on the final day of in-person voter registration.