Media Statement
11 December 2018
Minister Sisulu receives briefing on logistical arrangements for voting South Africans living abroad
The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms Lindiwe Sisulu, has just concluded a meeting with the Commissioners of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and senior officials of her department where she received a briefing on logistics required to ensure South Africans living abroad exercise their democratic right to vote in the upcoming 2019 general elections.
DIRCO and the IEC recently signed the Cooperation Agreement on South African missions abroad, which outlines how DIRCO and the IEC will cooperate with each other to facilitate the registration and voting process for South Africans living abroad.
The Minister was assured that preparations are well underway across all South African missions abroad for registration weekends, special voting and setting up of infrastructure for voting when the voting dates are announced.
The IEC has declared 1-4 February 2019 as special days for South African diplomatic missions abroad to allow South African citizens to check the status of their registrations and for those who are not registered to submit their applications to be enlisted on the voters roll.
The Minister congratulated the teams on the good work done thus far and further urged them to keep the nation informed and to also meet regularly to iron out any outstanding matters.
“From the briefing it is clear that the IEC and our team here at DIRCO are hard at work to ensure that South Africans living abroad can vote in all our diplomatic missions. It is very important that the infrastructure is in place so that all South Africans can exercise their democratic right”, said Minister Sisulu.
Minister Sisulu and the IEC will in 2019 also host a special briefing with members of the diplomatic corps to brief them about the country’s 2019 elections.
Enquiries: Ndivhuwo Mabaya, 083 645 7838, MabayaN@dirco.gov.za
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND COOPERATION
OR Tambo Building
460 Soutpansberg Road
Rietondale
Pretoria
0084
|
