tame TIMES
two time winner of the annual Ekurhuleni awards: Best Print media
Alberton
FRESH APPROACH TO LOCAL NEWS
Volume 04, 12 November 2013, Week 46
Delivered every Tuesday
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Registering for a better future INSIDE
Monica Supra
monica@tametimes.co.za
Theologo killers found guilty
Page 3
Voter Registration Weekend ran smoothly with over 1.1 million South Africans who visited the registration centres on Saturday alone. The ANC Gauteng branch said it was impressed with the voter registration process and the turnout. “The response of the residents of Gauteng to this weekend’s voter registration confirms that South Africa’s young democracy is maturing,” was said in an official statement. “This maturity provides the clearest indication that the voters roll is set to increase in the 2014 general elections with younger voters coming on board.” According to the IEC, early trends were that approximately 40% were new registrations, 49% were applicants changing registration details from one voting district to another and 11% were applicants re-registering in the same voting district. Initial trends also point to a relatively high turnout by young people, with up to 75% of new registrations being people under 30
years. New channels of interaction such as the Facebook page IECSouthAfrica and Twitter account @IECSouthAfrica have also been highly popular. The Facebook page in particular has grown with over 56 000 people who have “liked” the page in the past week, making it the third fastest growing Facebook page in South Africa. The IEC said it would continue to encourage young people to register. Deputy chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said citizens who missed out this weekend missed an opportunity to save on travel, but will still be able to register to vote. “Registration in the South African context is a continuous process. The registration weekend offers people an opportunity to register within their voting districts and the communities where they live,” he said. Those who still need to register now have an opportunity to go to the office of the municipal electoral officer and register there.