Preparations for S. Africa's local elections at advanced stage: minister

South Africa's local government elections will not be postponed despite uncertainty about whether the voters' roll should include addresses, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Des van Rooyen said in Pretoria on Wednesday.

Preparations for the elections were at an advanced stage and the government sees no reason why it should postpone the elections, he said.

Unlike national and provincial elections, the local government elections require that potential voters register in the ward that they reside in. To this effect, the government has embarked on a communication campaign calling on all eligible voters to register and verify their details on the voters roll.

But due to the lack of some voters' details, there have been calls to postpone the elections.

The minister expected the election, scheduled for August 3, to be free and fair.

Over 6.6 million voters visited their voting stations over the two voter registration weekends, Van Rooyen said at a press briefing.

The government is therefore pleased that South Africans took this opportunity to register, especially the first time voters and the youth, he said.

"We urge all citizens who have not registered, to utilise the intervening period until the election date is proclaimed, to visit offices of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in their local municipalities to update their details on the Voters' Roll (provide addresses) or to register to vote for the 3rd August polls," he said.

The government had begun exploring ways of assigning addresses to those living in informal settlements.

"We are encouraged that South Africans registered in their numbers and will have an opportunity to select the public representatives that would best serve their interests," the minister said.

The elections come as the government under President Jacob Zuma is facing a series of challenges, including the Nkandla scandal in which Zuma is accused of abusing public funds in security upgrades at his private home and the "state capture" by the Indian Gupta family which allegedly keeps close ties with Zuma and the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

The ANC is facing the most fierce competition from the opposition parties since the end of apartheid in 1994.

The local government elections will see political parties fighting for control of the country's metropolitans. Opposition political parties, particularly, the Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters, have vowed to take over Johannesburg, Pretoria and Nelson Mandela Bay municipality from the ANC. Enditem