It’s YOUR democracy

The date of the South African 2016 Municipal Elections has been announced for August 3rd. Held every five years, the national elections will determine which political party and their candidate is voted into power, and hence the Presidency of the country.

While the political landscape is constantly shifting one thing South African citizens can and should do is embrace is their power to vote. In order to do so the public must make sure they are registered to vote, according to the Independent Electoral Commission’s records. This coming weekend, April 9-10, is the second and final voters registration weekend. Voting stations across the country will be open from 8 AM to 5 PM on both days so make sure you check whether you are registered or not and act accordingly.

The importance of exercising your right to vote cannot be understated, especially in these interesting political times. One of the fundamental core values of a democracy is the people’s right to have a say in who leads their country, especially since South Africa’s municipal elections occur infrequently. Compared to other countries where elections happen more frequently (every three years in New Zealand or every four years in the United States of America for example), South Africa’s elections often forecast a decade of political power to the party that wins the elections. As the build up to the elections begins, make sure you have you placed yourself in the position to cast your vote and make a difference for the country.