Parliament, Sunday, 31 October 2021 – Parliament’s Presiding Officers, led by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ms Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces, Mr Amos Masondo, call on all South Africans registered for the upcoming local government elections to go to the polls to cast their votes.
More than 23 000 voting stations will be open for voting on 1 November from 07h00 to 21h00, and those who have registered for special votes may exercise their vote on 30th and 31st of October.
The Presiding Officers commended South African citizens for their continued interest and participation in the process of deciding who should govern them. More people, particularly the youth, have demonstrated great enthusiasm for participating in the coming elections. “It is your basic responsibility under the Constitution to participate and determine how you are governed and ensure quality service delivery,” said the Presiding Officers.
This is the sixth local government election since the dawn of freedom and democracy in 1994.
The services and facilities people need most in their daily lives are a responsibility of the local sphere of government. Other key services rendered by other spheres of government are also linked to the local government, which is considered the coalface of service delivery to the people. These services include the delivery of water, electricity, houses and healthcare.
“The local government elections present us with an opportunity to elect leaders that will represent the people in the local sphere of government for the next five years. By participating in these elections, we will be choosing people to lead in the provision of crucial basic services. We need to always claim our constitutional right to determine and influence how we are governed and to hold accountable those we elect,” said the Presiding Officers.
The Presiding Officers called on South Africans to cooperate with the Electoral Commission of South Africa officials at voting stations to ensure safety during the election process and, above all, to ensure that the elections are free and fair. Registered voters are reminded to ensure they bring along smart ID cards, green barcoded IDs or valid temporary certificates to the voting stations.
“We owe it to the many heroes and heroines who fought for freedom and democracy in South Africa, as well as to future generations who should inherit a well-functioning and viable system of local government. The best way to honour their sacrifices is to exercise our hard-earned right to vote peacefully and in a dignified manner.”
The Presiding Officers continued: “We must never lower our guards in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. We must ensure that we vaccinate, sanitise, wear face masks and ensure social distancing.”
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
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