Blocking voter registration threatens democratic process

Local government is at the coalface of service delivery. It is in this sphere where residents realise the failure of government when taps run dry, roads are riddled with potholes, raw sewage runs in backyards, or when there are intermittent power cuts. It is for such reasons that citizens must take municipal elections seriously as they present an opportunity for them to influence decision-making.

And the first step towards fulfilling that democratic right is to register to vote. We applaud more than 300,000 citizens from the Eastern Cape who interacted with the Electoral Commission over the weekend to either register for the first time or inspect their details. However, we note with concern the amplification of the“asivoti”(we are not going to vote) voices.

Protests delayed the start of voter registration on Saturday in several voting districts that include Buffalo City Metro, Nelson Mandela Bay, OR Tambo, King Sabata Dalindyebo, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Kumkani Mhlontlo and Ntabankulu municipalities. We have seen similar protests before driven by complaints over service delivery issues and ward demarcations. What was more worrying this weekend was party politics coming into play.

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Four voting stations in Mzamomhle and the wider Gonubie area were closed after disgruntled ANC members protested over the party’s ward councillor selection processes. No political party, regardless of its history or level of public support, has the authority to obstruct the work of election officials or prevent citizens from exercising their constitutional rights. Democracy depends on free and fair participation, not on intimidation or attempts to manipulate access to the electoral process.

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