South Africa embraces ICT in polls
What you need to know:
As the rest of the continent dithers, use of information communication technology in South Africa's political processes has enabled thousands of its citizens overseas to vote, a whole week ahead of their home-based compatriots.
JOHANNESBURG, Thursday
As the rest of Africa dithers, South Africa has moved fast to embrace information communication technology as part of its political processes. And as a result of the revolutionary move, thousands of eligible voters have already cast their ballots away from home and a whole week ahead of their home-based compatriots.
On Wednesday, an estimated 16,000 South African voters cast their ballots in various world cities.
New York, Washington, London, Brussels, Geneva, Harare and Nairobi, to mention but some, played host to South Africa’s advance voting parties.
London reportedly had the largest diaspora voting constituency.
So enthusiastic were the South Africans to participate in the once-in-five-years ritual that some reportedly asked for a day off from work to be able to cast their ballot.
All that was required of the advance voters residing outside their motherland was an identity card or a passport and proof of voter registration. Only a handful hitches were reported with some prospective voters being barred from participating.
South Africa’ minister for Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma cast her ballot in Geneva Switzerland. Ms Dlamini-Zuma will not be at home on the April 22 voting date as she is in Europe on official assignment. The Foreign minister is leading a government delegation on to the UN Durban Review Conference of the UN World Conference Against Racism, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance.
In Kenya, for instance, voting while outside the country is out of the question. And even those who are in Kenya on the election date can only vote at the specific stations where they registered as voters.
Such rigidity in the electoral process has over the years continued to disenfranchise hundreds of would-be voters. Many urban-based Kenyan, for example, prefer travelling upcountry to celebrate Christmas with their kin. Since a good number of such urban dwellers are likely to have registered as voters in the towns where they work, a December election date with aforementioned rigidity often denies them the opportunity to exercise their democratic right.
At the same time, such an arrangement, can often be exploited by whoever fixes the election date (currently the sitting president) to tilt the voting patter to his favour.
