Cape Town — The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says it will investigate the reasons behind the historically low voter turnout at this year’s general elections.
Just over 58% of registered voters made their way to the ballots, which was the lowest amount of voters since South Africa entered a democracy in 1994. The IEC introduced a new rule which meant citizens could only vote at the polling stations where they were previously registered at, EWN reported.
The IEC acknowledged that this wed to many people being turned away, but it said that could not be the only reason for the low turnout.
“It could have been a contributing factor, but as I said, we have to look at the evidence and understand what drove voter behaviour to be the manner it did.” IEC deputy chief officer, Masego Sheburi.
The IEC’s investigation aims to delve deeper into the factors that influenced voter behaviour during the 2024 elections. Identifying these elements is crucial for addressing the underlying issues and ensuring higher voter participation in future elections.
ALSO READ | Final result: ANC loses outright majority in SA vote
Minister of Home Affairs Aaron Motsoaledi said his department did everything possible to ensure that voters had their identity documents before the elections.
According to IOL, the uMkhonto weSizwe’s (MK) Visvin Reddy, said the decision by the IEC to block Zuma from going back to parliament, resulted in a lower turnout. Reddy said Zuma’s ban discouraged voters from turning up at the polls, and it also affected the MK party’s aspirations for a two-thirds majority.
““I would like to share some insights on the recent general election results. The MK Party, under the leadership of president Jacob Zuma, has made significant strides, now leading in KwaZulu-Natal and emerging as the third largest party in the country.” he said.
“The voter turnout this year was lower, and many voters chose to stay away from the polls. This can be attributed to the actions of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which excluded president Zuma from being a candidate in Parliament, depriving South Africans of electing the leader of their choice,” he added.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Picture: X/@Sli_Masikane
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Compiled by Matthew Petersen
