President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans to come out in their numbers to vote in the local government elections on Monday, which has been declared a public holiday.
“Tomorrow, on Monday the 1st of November, we will all go to the polls to elect our local government representatives,” said Ramaphosa in a message to all voters on Sunday night.
“I call on each and every South African who is registered to vote to go out tomorrow and vote for the candidate and the party of your choice.
“Your vote counts. Every single vote counts. With your vote you are building a better South Africa.
“A South Africa with strong, well-run and effective municipalities that can improve the lives of every citizen.”
The president said local government elections are about the issues that matter most to all of us “such as housing, electricity, water, sanitation, and decent roads”.
He added “We all want to get better services. We all want to have decent, sustainable work.
“We all want to see our businesses grow and for our communities to thrive. This can only happen if local government is strong.
“With your vote, you are exercising your constitutional responsibility as a citizen to build our democracy.
“Remember to visit the voting station in the ward where you are registered and to take your ID with you.”
Voting stations will open from 7 am to 9 pm.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa has assured voters that Covid-19 safety protocols will be observed at all polling stations.
Ramaphosa also encouraged unvaccinated people to get free Covid-19 jabs at the many pop-up stations that will be operating on Monday.
“You can also make a difference by visiting one of the hundreds of Covid-19 vaccination stations that will be in operation at voting stations around the country,” said Ramaphosa.
“So I ask you to go out and vote tomorrow and let’s build South Africa together.”
Police Minister Bheki Cele has assured voters of safe and secure elections on Monday.
Cele visited the KwaZulu-Natal Province earlier on Sunday to assess the state of readiness of the police to ensure a safe election.
This visit comes off the back of his visit to the Mpumalanga province on Saturday 30 October 2021, for the same purpose.
“While police will be on hand to ensure voting goes ahead as planned, they will not be letting their guard down in policing other crimes.” said Cele.
The police minister said the heightened deployment in identified areas during election day will remain in place until the election results are announced on Thursday, 4 November.
The South African National Defence Force will deploy some 10 000 soldiers to bolster safety during the elections.