SANCO condemns violence on voter registration weekend
The SA National Civic Organisation on Sunday condemned the violence that occurred at some voting stations across the country.
The organisation also condemned the torching of two houses in Masakona village outside Vuwani in Limpopo, during the Electoral Commission of SA’s (IEC) final voter registration weekend.
“Violent protests during voter registration and on election days [August 3] denies eligible voters the right to exercise their constitutional right to vote for parties and or candidates of their own choice,” Sanco national spokesman Jabu Mahlangu said.
Such action violated the electoral law which should be enforced with serious repercussions for those responsible for senseless violence and lawlessness, he said.
“Denying people their right to vote is a myopic strategy that in the long run impacts on service delivery and community development. The election campaign phase is a mandating period and not one during which grievances are resolved.”
He appealed to Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister David van Rooyen to take the disruptions into account before issuing a proclamation that would close the voters’ rolls.
The IEC should be given space to devise a focused strategy to reach out to eligible voters who were affected before they were closed out, Mahlangu said.