Kingdom Mabuza

Kingdom Mabuza

Political parties praised the ruling by the Constitutional Court allowing registered South Africans living abroad to vote in the coming national elections.

The court yesterday ruled that South African citizens registered to vote and who would be abroad on April 22 were entitled to vote.

The court said they should indicate their intention to vote by March 27 to the chief electoral officer and identify the embassy, high commission or consulate where they would cast the special vote.

But they would not be allowed to vote for provincial elections.

ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte said the ruling was in line with the party's view that every effort had to be made to ensure that all South Africans, including those abroad, should be able to cast their votes.

The IFP said the party's president Mangosuthu Buthelezi had been fighting to have South Africans living abroad to vote for more than five years.

Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder said his party would convey the message of victory to South Africans abroad.