Outcome of voting registrations
The Electoral Commission (IEC) thanked the millions of South Africans who responded positively to the call to register for next year’s national and provincial elections.
In Ekurhuleni, a total of 135 648 registrations were recorded, which included re-registrations, new registrations and people who moved wards.
The following numbers of registrations were recorded in the different wards:
n Ward 22, including Witfield, Boksburg North, Ravenswood, Dayanglen, Boksburg West, Comet, Beyers Park, Anderbolt, Jansen Park, Muswelldale, Jan Smutsville and Morgan Ridge, saw 1 768 registrations;
* Ward 23, including Impala Park and Atlasville, saw 2 372 registrations;
* Ward 31, including Van Dyk Park and East Village, saw 1 659 registrations;
* Ward 32, including Parkrand, Parkdene, Farrar Park, Cinderella, Libradene, Boksburg South, Boksburg East, Boksburg CBD and Cason, saw 1 330 registrations;
* Ward 34, including Reiger Park, saw 1 169 registrations;
* Ward 42, including Ramaphosa, Freeway Park and Els Park, including extension seven and eight, saw 1 557 registrations;
* Ward 43, including Sunward Park, Groeneweide, Klippoortjie, Windmill Park and Dawn Park, saw 1 775 registrations.
The registration process was characterised by smooth operations, with the vast majority of stations opening on time and people registering quickly and efficiently.
In addition, the registration process enjoyed the support of all political parties, community leaders and the population throughout the country, with only a tiny number of incidents recorded on Saturday, November 9.
These isolated incidents were quickly resolved with the support of political parties, community leaders and security services.
The end result was a smooth and efficient registration process, in which 2 512 219 were assisted nationally, at the country’s 22 263 registration stations.
Of these, 1 088 015 – or 43.3 per cent – were new voters registering for the first time.
According to the IEC, their commitment to democracy has helped boost overall registration levels to almost 77 per cent of eligible voters, from 73.6 per cent before the registration weekend.
A further 1.17-m people (or 46.6 per cent) used the opportunity to change their existing registration to a different voting station, and about 10.1 per cent (253 098) re-registered at their existing voting station.
Most encouragingly, over 80 per cent of all new registrations were young people, helping to boost registration levels of those in the 20 to 29 age group from 49.1 per cent to 54.5 per cent today.
While the number of registered voters in the 18 to 19 age group almost tripled, from 167 535 to 434 370, the registration percentage of 22.6 per cent remains the lowest for all age groups, and presents an ongoing challenge for all South Africans to encourage a new generation of voters to participate.
In terms of gender, the new registrations were largely in line with the general population trend in South Africa, with 53 per cent women and 47 per cent men.
In terms of provincial outcomes, Gauteng ranked second, with 572 395.
All those who have still not taken the opportunity to register, can still do so before next year’s elections, by visiting their local municipal offices.
