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ANC laments low voter turnout at by-elections

A Botswana woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Gaborone during Botswana's general elections . Picture Credit: AFP
A Botswana woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Gaborone during Botswana's general elections . Picture Credit: AFP

The African National Congress (ANC) celebrated winning 13 wards of the 15 wards contested in by-elections across the country on Wednesday‚ but lamented the low voter turn.

The party’s Zizi Kodwa said on Thursday that it appreciated “that the people have reaffirmed their support of the ANC‚ ensuring that we win”.

“These results are yet another show of continued confidence by the electorate in the ANC and our programme of fundamental socio-economic transformation‚” he added.

“Their confidence in the ANC has not‚ is not and will never be taken for granted.”

However‚ Kodwa said the party was “grave concernly” that‚ “according to the statistics released by the Independent Electoral Commission‚ of the 97 385 registered population‚ only 42 368 votes were cast‚ amounting to 43.51% voter turnout”.

“For almost 105 years‚ the ANC‚ working with the people‚ has led the struggle for the liberation of all the people of South Africa in which they can all‚ black or white‚ enjoy the constitutional right to elect the government of their choice.

“Many sacrificed their lives for the right to vote. We should never fail them by staying away from voting.”

 

 

– TMG Digital

 

 

 

 

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