In pursuit of its mandate to promote democracy, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) held an outreach programme at Inkanyezi Special School. In partnership with various stakeholders, the IEC visited the school with the main goal of offering support and extending a helping hand to learners living with disabilities.

IEC representative Ms Mpumelelo Sithebe explained that, “Knowing that Inkanyezi provides essential services to children living with disabilities, we saw the need to contact the school, understand how they are coping, and offer assistance where possible.”

Different stakeholders form part of the event

Sithebe said the IEC held several meetings, during which the school outlined the challenges it faces. “We realised that many of these issues fall under different government departments, so we reached out to the relevant departments for intervention. We also invited these departments to today’s event so they could provide their services directly,” Sithebe added.

She thanked government departments such as Education, Social Development, SASSA and Home Affairs for their participation.

Also read: Egerton pupils win awards for speech and drama

She also expressed gratitude to companies including Dunlop, Durban Overall and Defy for their ongoing commitment to supporting the school. The Al-Imdaad Foundation provided meals on the day and offered to assist the school with water supply moving forward. In addition, Sithebe acknowledged the Andile Mchunu Foundation for helping resolve the school’s electricity issues through engagement with the local municipality.

Sithebe highlighted that the IEC runs various outreach programmes tailored to different groups. “We recently hosted a ‘Women in Leadership’ event at Donga La Boutique Hotel, where women in leadership positions from various organisations came together to share experiences and support one another,” she said.

IEC encourages voter registration

She also reminded the community that the term of office for councillors ends in November next year, meaning that local elections are approaching. The IEC is encouraging all unregistered individuals to register to vote.
“Voter registration is ongoing. You can visit IEC offices on weekdays or register online at www.elections.org.za. Our new WhatsApp registration line will also be launched soon. We are visiting schools to encourage eligible learners to register and to educate them about the importance of voting,” Sithebe concluded.

Click to receive news links via WhatsApp. Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there!