Everything you need to know about the Ward 39 by-election
A total of 7 842 voters registered to participate in Wednesday's by-election contested by the ANC, DA and Truth parties.
POLOKWANE – The IEC in Limpopo says everything is place and ready for tomorrow’s by-elections in Ward 39, Polokwane.
The IEC’s senior outreach officer Simon Thobakgale said a total of 7 842 voters registered to participate in the by-election and that the ward is made up of two voting districts.
“This ward became vacant as a result of the ward councillor’s resignation. Voting stations will open at 07:00 and close at 21:00 on Wednesday,” he said.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Voting will take place at the following voting stations:
- Laerskool Pietersburg Noord
- Technical High School Tom Naudé
2. The following candidates will contest the by-election:
- Francina Ramatsobane Taueatsoala of the ANC
- Esme-Rita James of the DA and
- Gezani Rich Hlungwani of the Truth and Solidarity Movement (TRUTH).
3. Special voting is currently taking place at the voting stations as well as through home visits. This will be done between 08:00 and 17:00.
“A total of 29 home visits were approved, while 662 voting station visits were approved, totaling 691 special votes,” Thobakgale said.
4. Voters are reminded to:
- Vote only at the voting station where they are registered. Voters can check their registration and voting station details by SMSing their ID number to 32810 (R1 per SMS).
- Bring your ID book/smartcard ID or a valid temporary identification certificate with you.
Thobakgale reminded voters that it is a criminal offence to register and vote in a ward in which they are not ordinarily resident.
“You may be fined or sent to prison for up to 10 years if you commit electoral fraud,” he said.
In October, both the ANC and DA told the Polokwane Review-Observer that they are optimistic about the election outcome.
Read more: Ward 39 by-election scheduled for November
Emmanuel Maruma of the ANC urged residents to vote for his party to enhance service delivery.
In contrast, the DA’s provincial party chairperson Jacques Smalle expressed confidence in retaining the ward, which has been under DA control since its inception, noting that the party has consistently received over 50% of the vote in past elections, securing an outright majority.
