Friday18 February – 3 March 2011

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EVERY DROP COUNTS:CALL TO CITIZENS TOPROTECT OUR RIVERSNews Page 4News Page 4

R18mFOR LEDROBOTSNews Page 4

METROe z a s e g a g a s i n i

HANDS UP FORBULWER PARKREVAMP PLAN

THEMBA KHUMALO

MORE than 1.2million votershave takenadvantage ofthe country-

wide registration drive so farand the Independent Elec-toral Commission (IEC) hasurged those who have not yetregistered to vote in theupcoming Municipal elec-tions to do so before, or on 5and 6 March.

That weekend will be the lasttwo full days set aside forregistration, although peopledon’t have to wait until then asthey can register on any weekday during normal officehours at their local IEC office.

The registration drive hasalready been a resoundingsuccess, with 534 016new registrations– although57 569 ofthem werefrom 16and 17-year-olds who cannotyet be included onthe voters’ roll.

There were 729 732re-registrations indifferent voting dis-tricts because of add-ress changes since thelast election and142 954 re-registra-tions within the samevoting district forvarious reasons, in-cluding boundarychanges and new wards.

KwaZulu-Natal had thehighest number of new regi-strations with 134 864 foll-owed by Gauteng with 91 708and the Eastern Cape with90 933.

Thousands of voters alsochecked their details on thevoters’ rolls available forinspection at every votingstation.

IEC Chairwoman, Dr Brig-alia Bam, said, “The ElectoralCommission is particularlypleased with the outcome ofthe registration drive. The neteffect is that 1 205 520 voters

have over the past weekendempowered themselves tocast their votes in theforthcoming municipalelections.

“This figure is arrived at byadding the new registrationsto the figure for re-registrations because of achange in address as thesevoters will now be correctlyplaced on the voters’ roll andwill be able to participate inthe forthcoming elections.

“The great success of theweekend registration drive isclear when the results arecompared to the outcome ofthe first registration weekendof the previous Municipalelections in 2006,” said Bam.

Before the weekend regi-stration there were 22 691 676people on the voters’ roll.

Given the newregistrations over thepast weekend, thevoters’ roll now standsat 23 161 975.

Voters who have justregistered or re-registered may verifythe correctness oftheir applications byvisiting the IECw e b s i t e ,www.elections. org.za ,SMSing their IDnumber to 32810 orcalling the IEC toll freeat 0800 11 8000.

Fresh voters’ rollswill also be availablefor inspection atvoting stations on 5

and 6 March.Bam said, “Five and 6 March

will be the final registrationweekend where eligible voterswill have a chance to registeror re-register at their votingstation where they live. ForMunicipal elections, voterscan only vote where they areregistered and they mustregister where they live.”

The voters’ roll closes on thedate on which the Presidentproclaims the election date.Only people who are 18 andolder on the day of theelections are allowed to vote.

khumalotk@durban.gov.za

S’CELO KHUZWAYO,SILINDILE SITHOLE and AYANDA DUBE

THE Executive Committee(EXCO) has ordered a fullinvestigation into allegationsthat some officials and Coun-cillors are doing business withthe Municipality and“financial irregularities”.

Mayor Obed Mlaba wasresponding at a press briefinglast week to the findings of thelatest Auditor-General’s reportinto eThekwini’s finances, anda flurry of media reports on itand related issues.

Mlaba said EXCP had man-dated him to lead the processof appointing qualifiedinvestigators.

He said anyone found tohave broken the law would beprosecuted and asked anyonewith information to comeforward.

A representative of the Aud-itor-General’s office, Hermanvan Zyl last month presentedhis findings to the Council.

The Municipality’s financesgot an unqualified audit, butcertain matters were flaggedfor attention.

Mlaba said, “While we

applaud the fact that ourMunicipality is in a financiallystable position, we wereconcerned about negativefindings, especially in relationto non-compliance with thesupply chain managementregulations, especially in theHousing Unit, Section 36awards (where tender pro-cedures are relaxed), the rev-enue management systemand Municipal staff andCouncillors doing businesswith the Municipality.

“On this issue, all politicalparties are together,” Mlabasaid.

Democratic Alliance caucusleader, Councillor Tex Collinssaid the issue transcendedpolitics and affected everyone.“As the DA we accept thisinvestigation 100%,” Collinssaid.

Mlaba said the Municipalityhad a history of receivingunqualified audits.

“We want our records to beclean and continue to berespected in the country andthe continent for our cleanrecord,” he said.

khuzwayosc@durban.gov.zasitholes@durban.gov.za

dubea@durban.gov.za

SOUTH African jazzgreat AbdullahIbrahim and theeThekwiniMunicipality’sHead ofInternationalGovernance

Relations, EricApelgren, aredwarfed by thegiant Dreams

for Africaartwork in thePresidential Atriumof the MosesMabhida Stadium.Ibrahim (formerlyDollar Brand)toured the stadiumduring a stay inthe city last week.He was in Durbanfor a concert tolaunch his latestnational tour andto promote a newalbum. Dreams forAfrica was createdby members of theWoza Moyaincome-generationproject at theHillcrest AidsCentre Trust andwas one of theartworkscommissioned bythe Municipality toadorn the WorldCup stadium

Picture: JESSIE SINGH

On a roll:recordturnoutMore than a million register tovote ahead of final campaign

SIGN OF THETIMES: Tofind out howto registerand whatyoungpeople thinkabout voting,see Page 2 Exco orders probe into finances

Awesome Africa