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Local election registration marred by violence in parts of S. Africa

Xinhua, April 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

Registration for local elections was halted by violence in some parts of South Africa on Saturday.

Protest turned violent in several areas in Limpopo Province.

The protesters burned 10 vehicles, including two police vans, during clashes with police, witnesses said.

Police said no injuries were reported and the situation was under control.

Officials from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) were prevented from setting up registration stations in Vuwani township in Limpopo, where the most violent protest took place.

Roads leading to the area were blocked by police.

The protest was sparked by complaints over attempts by local governments to merge Vuwani into another municipality where service delivery is reportedly poorer.

The IEC said voter registration went on smoothly in most parts of country despite sporadic incidents of violence in some areas.

South Africa's next local government elections will be held on August 3 this year.

President Jacob Zuma has urged all eligible voters to register and those who have not checked their names to do so this weekend.

The IEC said it is hoping that as many new voters as possible will join the existing 25.6 million registered voters to boost the voters' roll above its current level of about 75 percent of the eligible voting population.

To significantly increase the current voters' roll will require a large number of young first-time voters to register this weekend, the IEC said.

Statistics show that nearly 80 percent of the eight million eligible voters who are not currently registered are younger than 30.

Over three million South African voters visited their voting stations during the March registration weekend to register for the first time, to re-register and to update their registration and address details.

This included almost 700, 000 new voters. It is hoped at least a similar number will register this weekend.

Municipal elections are held every five years.

Voters will elect the members of the district, metropolitan and local municipal councils, who, in turn, will elect the mayors of the municipalities to office. Enditem