Chief Electoral Officer of the Independent Electoral Commission, Sy Mamabolo, says political parties have a responsibility to attract the youth to vote.
Mamabolo was engaging the Parliamentary Gallery Association on election-related matters as the Commission prepares for local government elections to held in November.
He says the IEC provides administrative role to attract the youth while political parties have a responsibility to offer policies that entice them.
“Once we get the youths registered, it is then incumbent upon political parties to offer them a policy platform that can entice them, that can motivate them to go and vote on the 4th of November. So, it’s a responsibility … ours (is) to ensure that they are in the voters roll, they are registered as much they should, and in the correct voting stations and so on, and for political parties to enthuse them so that they can participate in the elections,” he says.
Mamabolo says they are joining hands with relevant law enforcement agencies as part of ensuring elections are free of violence.
Mamabolo was engaging journalists in Parliament on matters related to the upcoming local government elections.
“We started very early to work with the Natjoints and priority communities in the elections, because creating the climate of the free and fair elections is the primary duty of the commission. But it’s a duty we share with the security services agencies, because if one party is allowed to campaign in one area and another party is not, it goes against the grain of a democratic dispensation.”
Politics – SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader.