Preliminary indications suggest the registration drive achieved strong participation across the country, with early data showing particularly high activity in the KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape provinces. Officials say the process unfolded smoothly despite adverse weather conditions in several provinces.
IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said initial figures point to a significant level of engagement, with overall registration activity believed to have exceeded one million transactions over the weekend. “Despite the inclement weather in some of the provinces, we still experienced a steady flow of voters coming to register,” Mamabolo said.
Mamabolo said the figures include both new registrations and updates by existing voters, but noted a clear trend emerging among first-time participants. “It does appear that the majority of those who are registering for the first time are indeed young people,” Mamabolo said.
The strong turnout among youth is being viewed as a positive signal for electoral participation, particularly in a context where young voters have historically been underrepresented in voter rolls.
The registration weekend provided citizens with an opportunity to register for the first time, update personal details or change voting districts ahead of the elections.
–SABC/ChannelAfrica–
