Countdown to Election Day
The IEC says it's all systems go for Election Day in Zululand.
WITH less than two weeks to go before the national general elections, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in Zululand is finalising recruitment of staff for special voting next month.
Applications for special voting closed last Thursday and will be administered two days before the election on 5 and 6 May either through home visits or at voting stations.
Special votes cater for the physically infirm, disabled, or pregnant women as well as registered voters unable to vote in his/her voting district on voting day.
It also applies to registered voters, who will serve as election officers or are on duty as a member of the security services on Election Day.
uThungulu IEC Regional Supervisor Thule Dlamini said capturing of special votes closed on Tuesday and they were busy tallying the final number.
‘Preparation is going well for Election Day. We completed our training with security staff on Tuesday and continued with training of party agents on Wednesday. We are now busy with the distribution of bulk material. All training and distribution of electoral material will be concluded by 25 April,’ Dlamini told the Zululand Observer on Wednesday.
On Friday, 25 April, the IEC will also hold a special student political debate with parties within the University of Zululand at the KwaDlangezwa campus at 2.30pm.
The debate will focus on the different political parties’ policy on higher education as well as their respective blueprints for promoting and developing education for sustained socio-economic development.
Interest groups will be given a platform to share their views on good governance and the three ‘isms’ to take South Africa forward – capitalism, communism and socialism. The relevance behind violence, organised or spontaneous protests as well as assault on innocent people and damage to property will also come under the spotlight.
Objections
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission will issue certificates to all candidates on Thursday (today) following the conclusion of the objection and appeal process in which only a single objection was upheld by the Commission.
The Commission originally received 45 objections in respect of lists submitted by the following parties:
• African Christian Democratic Party
• African National Congress
• Agang SA
• Congress of the People
• Democratic Alliance
• Economic Freedom Fighters
• United Democratic Party
• National Freedom Party
• Ximoko Party
Of these objections, the Electoral Commission upheld only one against a candidate who was convicted of an offence and sentenced to more than 12 months imprisonment without the option of a fine.
This disqualification ends five years after the sentence has been completed – which will be after the 2014 elections. The candidate has thus been disqualified.
