THE Electoral Commission in KwaZulu-Natal has announced that the IMA Baytul Centre will be the new venue to conduct voter registration in Sherwood this weekend while the hall and its grounds remain indefinitely occupied.

Since last Sunday, nearly 10 000 Malawi nationals have been living at the hall premises while waiting for repatriation and deportation. Provincial Electoral Officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said they have been keeping track of the situation and decided that the hall will not be available for Voter Registration Weekend, June 20 and 21.

“We were not sure how long the commotion was going to last and we have made alternative arrangements to use a voting station that is less than a kilometre away,” said Masinga.

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Confirming the IMA Baytul Care Centre as the new venue for voter registration, Masinga said the last minute change of location is nothing new for the commission to deal with.

“We do this if there is a disaster or any other problem. What we normally do is that some of our staff will be stationed at Sherwood Hall to redirect people to the correct voting station.”

The Voter Registration Weekend campaign is being rolled out throughout the country ahead of the Local Government Elections on November 4. Sherwood Hall in Ward 30 was among the 5021 stations secured in KZN for registration.

All voting stations will be open at 08:00 and close 17:00 for all eligible to register, re-register or update their registration details.

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