Community Chat: Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
Have your say on today's big issue.
A total of 14 753 prisoners have registered to be on the voters’ roll. Picture for illustration purposes: iStock
As South Africans gear up to vote in this week’s elections, the debate around prisoners’ rights has been reignited.
Inmates across the country will cast their ballot, with the Department of Correctional Services saying
14 753 prisoners have registered to be on the voters’ roll.
According to the department, and reported by Caxton Network News, those who registered before ‘admission to a correctional centre shall not be denied an opportunity to cast their votes’.
But others have questioned this, saying prisoners removed from regular society should also not be allowed to participate in voting for leaders in that society.
Should prisoners be allowed to vote?
