ELECTIONS: Health minister warns parties about safety during last campaigning days
The Electoral Commission has urged residents to bring their own pens and adhere to Covid-19 protocols at the voting stations.
With three days left before the local municipal elections, the Minister of Health has warned that intense campaigning by political parties this weekend could spark a rise in Covid-19 infections.
“The next three days over this weekend are going to be the riskiest as political parties rally their supporters at big gatherings to motivate them to go vote on Monday,” said health minister Joe Phaahla on Friday.
Concerns over safety ahead of the elections amid the coronavirus outbreak has been a long-existing issue.
In March, an inquiry led by former Judge Dikgang Moseneke recommended the elections be deferred to no later than February 2022 as he found the elections were unlikely to be free and fair if held this year.
Among Moseneke’s reasons for this was that medical experts warned that events leading to the voting day could spread the virus and put people’s health at risk.
This has now been raised by Phaahla, who cautioned political parties to prioritise the safety of residents while trying to win votes.
“We appeal to all political parties to approach their final push gatherings with caution. You all know what saves lives. Limit your numbers to 2 000 or less, keep distances, wear masks and avoid clustering before and after the gatherings.”
He said the possible impact of the super events would not be felt instantly but “will be felt seven to 15 days later”.
“We know that our biggest weapon against Covid-19 at this stage is vaccination and we have to use every opportunity where people will be gathered to offer vaccination.”
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The commission encouraged residents to bring their own pens when going to vote. Should a resident not have pens, election officials will provide a pen that will be sanitised after each use.
Residents were also reminded to bring their South African ID book or a temporary identification certificate to the voting officer.
A reminder of protocols at stations:
– Wear a mask
– Keep a distance of 1.5m from fellow voters
https://twitter.com/IECSouthAfrica/status/1453387066046287877https://twitter.com/IECSouthAfrica/status/1453351159792537605
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