Residents boycott municipal elections in Ga-Chokoe
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Sowetan
Residents of Ga-Chokoe, near Mokopane in South Africa’s Limpopo province, boycotted municipal elections to protest ward redemarcation. They say they were not consulted before being moved from ward 3 to ward 6, reports Sowetan.
Residents of Ga-Chokoe, in Limpopo province, boycotted South Africa’s municipal elections on Wednesday 4 November to protest against their transfer from municipal ward 3 to ward 6. The polling station at Mahlora Primary School was almost empty, with only police officers and Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) officials present, reports South African daily Sowetan.
The communities of Nkidikitlana, Ga Musi, Monare and Ga-Chokoe Sterkwater say they were neither consulted nor properly informed by the commission responsible for municipal demarcation. Residents are also challenging the candidates put forward and say their area lacks street lighting, water, roads and housing, with some having been waiting for suitable accommodation for more than 30 years.
The boycott took place while South Africa’s municipal elections were under way elsewhere in the country. It comes after more than 2.5 million South Africans voted early and counting began, with 1% of ballots counted on 5 November, according to results reported by electoral authorities.
