The Department of Home Affairs is pulling out all the stops to ensure that as many South Africans as possible have their identity documents in time for the local government elections.
From extended working hours to mobile offices, the department’s Director General Mkuseli Apleni said plans were in place to make certain that those who applied for IDs received them timeously.
Home Affairs offices countrywide will open from 8am to 5pm during those days set aside for voter registration. Officials are also expected to work extended hours on the day before the start of the voter registration weekend.
Apleni said mobile offices will be deployed to areas where the department did not have an office close to registration stations. Officials at these mobile offices are expected to hand over IDs, collect and process first and re-issue applications as well as deal with other enquiries.
“We will also be visiting flood-ravaged areas to assist those who may have lost their enabling documents, including IDs,” he added.
While the department was doing its bit to ensure that South Africans had all they required to cast their votes, citizens were also expected to play a role.
Apleni said the department was particularly worried about the thousands of unclaimed IDs at its offices.
“Of serious concern to the department, however, is that our offices across the country have at this stage a total of 767 889 unclaimed IDs. Unless these IDs are claimed, owners will not be able to exercise their democratic right to vote.”
He appealed to those who had received a SMS informing them their IDs were available to make every effort to collect it from the nearest Home Affairs office.
Deputy CEO of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Mosotho Moepya, said the IEC was grateful and satisfied with the steps taken by the department to assist voters. – BuaNews
You need your ID Book in order to register to vote and the first IEC Voter Registration Weekend takes place from 5 to 6 February 2011. Go to the voting station in your ward to check if you are registered.
Are you registered to vote in the 2011 Municipal Elections?
If you have moved recently, ensure that you are registered in the correct VD and Ward. You must be registered in the Voting District where you live!
EVERY vote counts – remember your vote not only counts toward your ward candidate but also determines how many of the 60 Proportional Representation (PR) seats each party wins in the Nelson Mandela Bay District.
What do I need to register?
All you need to do to is take your green barcoded South African ID book either to the IEC offices in Cape Rd, or to the voting station closest to where you live. The process takes less than five minutes.
To find out if you are correctly registered to vote:
- Go to the Am I Registered page on the IEC web site and enter your ID Number OR
- SMS your ID number to 32810 A return SMS will advise if and where you are registered.
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) New Address:
122 Cape Road
(Corner of Way Ave, opposite Grey High School)
Mill Park – Port Elizabeth
Tel: 041 373 8602
Open every day from 8:30 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00
www.elections.org.za
Alan Straton
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