In case you slept through last weekend, or were too busy enjoying South African summertime to think about serious matters such as the upcoming 2009 Elections, it’s not too late to register to vote.
According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) wanna-voters can still register at IEC offices on weekdays, while another registration weekend is in the pipeline for February 2009.
The very good news is that last to date in excess of 21.6 million South Africans have registered to make their mark come 2009.
IEC chairwoman Brigalia Bam told the media that this was far above their anticipated numbers. She added that more than 1.6 million new voters had registered, and that 77.9% of all registered voters fall in the 18 - 29 year old age bracket.
This surely indicates that the recent changes in the upper echelons of SA politics, plus the contagious enthusiasm of the Americans who flocked to the polls in their recent elections, have led many of our youth to realize that they do have a voice, and a choice, in SA today.
Ms Bam told the press
“We are proud to say that this was our most successful registration drive since 2000."
Stats show that women were by far in the majority of those who visited the 19 000 IEC registration centres at the weekend.
So get your male partners, sons, colleagues and husbands to the IEC offices ASAP – and remind them they have no right to complain about the state of the nation if they don’t use their vote.
Still not sure if you're registered? Here's that link again to make 100% sure.
AM I REGISTERED?
