Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) officials from Joburg are ready for the 2.3 million registered voters who will make their mark on ballot papers at a total of 853 temporary and fixed voting stations next week.
A 16 300-strong contingent of highly trained and experienced IEC officials, who will be aided by officers from the Joburg Metro Police Department and the South African Police Service, will ensure that things work like clockwork.
Thirty percent of the 16 300 electoral staff, who mostly comprise school principals, teachers and community workers, is made up of City of Joburg employees. Another 165 mainly City officials, made up of senior managers, have been contracted by the IEC as area managers in Joburg.
Speaking about the state of readiness for the elections, Greg Daniels, the IEC’s Municipal Electoral Officer in Joburg and chairman of the Party Liaison Committee that comprises all the political parties in the Joburg municipality, says the team is more than ready for next week’s provincial and national polls.
“Special voting starts on Monday, May 6 2019. Registered voters were urged to apply for special voting from April 4-18 2019. So this caters for the infirm, highly pregnant women, the elderly and people who won’t be able to reach their voting stations on May 8,” says Daniels.
The next day, May 7, IEC electoral officials will be deployed throughout Joburg to conduct home visits, which form part of special voting.
“A total of 39 133 people have been approved for next week’s special voting,” says Abel Manthoko, IEC’s Deputy Municipal Electoral Officer in Joburg."
"City Power, the City of Johannesburg electricity distribution company, has been contracted to connect 78 temporary voting stations with power, according to Daniels.
Voting will start at 7am on May 8 2019 and the polling stations will close their doors at 9pm. “Then all the ballot papers will be counted at the voting stations with political party agents keeping a watchful eye over proceedings. So, it’s going to be a hectic but exciting time for IEC officials,” says Daniels.
A total of 60 million ballot papers have been printed nationwide and results are expected to be released on Saturday May 11 2019.
