The cooperation agreement signed between the IEC and DIRCO will enable South African expatriates and travelers to register and vote at the embassy or consulate nearest them.

Since the national and provincial elections of 1999, DIRCO has assisted the IEC with the voting of South African citizens abroad. 

Ahead of the national and provincial elections next year, and following the amendments to the Electoral Act, DIRCO extended its assistance to include voter registration applications through missions abroad.

The websites of the two bodies give details of how South Africans abroad can get onto the voters’ roll to enable them to cast their ballots next year.

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There are too few to provide reliable trends from yesterday’s local polls.

And the outcome of the closest-fought municipalities are not expected until much later today.

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Political Party officials  on the floor of the  Independent Electoral Commission Results Centres point to the metropolitan areas on tally board.

They says the outcome from any one of these can dramatically change the slowly emerging picture.

IEC chief executive Mosotho Moepya says the closest fought metropoles of Pretoria, Johannesburg and  Port Elizabeth are among the largest of the more than 200 municipalities.

He expects them to keep him and his team here until much later today

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The ruling African National Congress, is in danger of losing control of local authorities in  the administrative capital Pretoria, the commercial capital Johannesburg and the former ANC stronghold of Port Elizabeth.

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The South African Police Service and the Independent Electoral Commission are assuring South Africans they’ll be able to vote efficiently, secretly and peacefully.

This has been a deadly campaign in the ANC stronghold of KwaZulu Natal where at least 13 people, including election candidates, have been killed.

The election has seen the three main parties – the ANC, the Democratic Alliance which is the official opposition and the ultra-left Economic Freedom Fighters battle for the soul of previous leaders.

To the chagrin of the ANC, the DA claims that anti-apartheid icon and first democratic president Nelson Mandela would have voted for the them were he still alive.

EFF leader Julius Malema called on former president Thabo Mbeki to beg for the vote from the man whom he was party to humiliating with an early recall from the top job in 2008.

The issues in this election are the ANC’s failure to meet commitments to provide essential services and  burgeoning corruption, nepotism and cronyism within  President Jacob Zuma’s government.

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The South African President says the African National Congress will approach the elections like an army.

The country’s governing party faces its toughest contest since coming to power 22 years ago.

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President Jacob Zuma was speaking at yesterday’s (Monday) signing of the Independendent Electoral Commission code of conduct south of Pretoria.

The 13 political parties represented in the South Africa  Parliament have pledged their commitment to abide by the rules set out by the Electoral Commission.

Zuma says the ruling party is committed to helping give South Africa a successful local government election.

The ANC reaffirms its commitment to political tolerance and peaceful co-existence with other parties.

Zuma says they look forward to a robust and peaceful electioneering period.

No advantage will be given to any party during the election process.

The ANC will canvas and participate equally.

Victors will be congratulated as will those who do not win.

For the first time since winning power in 1994, the ANC stands a chance of losing its majority in Johannesburg, Pretoria  and Port Elizabeth.

Opposition parties say they will be keeping a close eye on the electoral body.

Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane says he’s not confident the IEC will fulfill its electoral mandate.

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The decision to delay by six weeks the poll scheduled for Valentine’s Day has met with the disapproval of her counterparts in Washington and London.

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Briefing the media in Pretoria today, South Africa’s foreign affairs chief Maite Nkoana Mashebane was asked for her reaction to overnight news that security concerns had led Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan to postpone elections until the end of March.

Jonathan’s chief rival Muhammmadu Buhari says this makes Nigeria a failed state.

Mashebane says elections in Nigeria, like in South Africa, are run by the electoral commission.

South Africa abides by the decisions of the Nigerian commission as it would by its own.

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