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The Independent Electoral Commission today determined March 15 as the cut-off date for perssons to apply for registration as voters

"We would like to allow people who responded at the last minute to register and apply for temporary registration certificates in certain areas to get their names on the voters' roll," said Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission, Ms Brigalia Bam.

Voter registration and voters' roll time-lines have been amended for immediate proclamation. Applications for registration will be received at the offices of Local Electoral Officers and additional offices from 09h00 to 19h00 on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Selected registration stations spread evenly over all rural areas will open from 09h00 to 17h00 until Monday to receive applications for registration. The Chief Electoral Officer of the Independent Electoral Commission, Professor Mandla Mchunu, will identify the rural areas mostly in need of the extra registration effort.

The Independent Electoral Commission decided on the three-day extension of the voter registration drive at a meeting last night (Wednesday). It was agreed between the Department of Home Affairs, the Office of the Deputy President and the Independent Electoral Commission that Department of Home Affairs offices would remain open from 09h00 to 19h00 on Friday and from 09h00 to 17h00 on Saturday, Sunday and Monday for temporary registration certificate applications.

All persons who arrive at Department of Home Affairs offices to apply for temporary registration certificates will be served and given the temporary registration certificates immediately in those cases where the applicants already have identity numbers.

The Department of Home Affairs will also have officials at selected rural registration stations open on those days to issue temporary registration certificates.

Some of the civil servants and volunteers used during the previous registration rounds will be used again until Monday.

For further information please contact the Press Secretary, Victor Dlamini,
on 083-321 1631

Issued by The Independent Electoral Commission
Pretoria
11 March 1999

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The voting population figure agreed between the independent electoral commission, the Department of Home Affairs and Stats SA is 22,8 million

The latest figure of voters listed on the Interim Voters' Roll is currently more than 17,2 million, which represents 75,4 percent of the eligible voters

The list of voters who registered so far is still being updated and the Independent Electoral Commission expects at least 80 percent of eligible voters have registered

A reconciliation and audit process is currently underway and involves the following process:

* Local electoral officers are checking every form and making sure that it has been entered on the Interim List of Registered Voters
* Some areas, for example Bronkhorstspruit and Brits, have already completed their reconciliation and audit
* Eligible voters who have applied for registration are invited to check for their names on the Interim List of Registered Voters on the website at www.elections.org.za <http://www.elections.org.za> or by calling the call centre number on 0800-11-8000 toll free
* If your name does not appear on the Interim List of Registered Voters, please re-register at the local electoral officer's office in your area - call the call centre on 0800-11-8000 to find your local electoral officer

An announcement will be made by the Chief Electoral Officer on the periods and venues that the Provisional Voters' Roll will be available for public inspection

The Provisional Voters' Roll will be available for public inspection at the venues to be announced by the Chief Electoral Officer

Regulations concerning cut-off dates for the general registration of voters and compilation of the voters' roll will come into effect when published in the Government Gazette

The Chief Electoral Officer will hold a media briefing on Tuesday to inform the public about the process for the COMPILATION OF THE VOTERS' ROLL

TABLE

Description of matter: Date by which a person must have applied for registration as a voter in terms of section 7 of the Act or for the change of registration details
in terms of section 9 of the Act.
Date to be finalised: 15 March 1999

Description of matter:: Notification to persons by Chief Electoral Officer in terms of section 12 of the Act.
Date to be finalised: 29 March 1999

Description of matter: Date by which appellant must note an appeal in terms of section 13 of the Act.
Date to be finalised: 6 April 1999

Description of matter: Date by which the Chief Electoral Officer must give notice of the periods during which and the venues where a provisionally compiled voters' roll will be available for inspection
Date to be finalised: 8 April 1999

Description of matter: Date by which an appeal must be decided and the appellant and the Chief Electoral Officer notified of the decision
Date to be finalised: 9 April 1999

Description of matter: Date by which the provisionally compiled voters' roll must be available for inspection
Date to be finalised: 12 April 1999

Description of matter: Date by which any objections in terms of section 15 of the Act in respect of provisionally compiled voters' roll must be made
Date to be finalised: 19 April1999

Description of matter: Date by which an objection made in terms of section 15 of the Act must be decided, and the objector, Chief Electoral Officer and any other persons involved, must be notified
Date to be finalised: 26 April 1999

Description of matter: Date by which the compilation of the voters' roll must be completed and the voters' roll published
Date to be finalised: 30 April 1999

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