The National Assembly has passed the Electoral Amendment Bill, which will protect the personal information of voters.
MPs voted in favour of the amendment bill at a sitting of the National Assembly on Friday.
The National Assembly again passed the Electoral Law Amendment Bill after making further amendments to one that was passed last year.
But not all political parties were in support of the bill, with a number of opposition MPs rejecting it.
The bill aims to amend provisions allowing voters to vote in a voting district where they are not registered.
The Electoral Laws Amendment Bill also intends, in part, to protect voters’ personal information by restricting access to the voters’ roll and the information contained on it.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Mgcini Tshwaku: “Reducting of ID numbers is going to open the flood gates for electoral corruption and will make it difficult for party agents to do oversight work.”
African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) MP Wayne Thring said that the bill could raise issues of transparency.
“Reduction of digits from identity numbers on the voters’ roll will indeed lead to electoral fraud and make the outcomes of elections questionable. This is completely undesirable and should not happen in a constitutional democracy. The ACDP does not support the Electoral Laws Amendment Bill.”
The bill will now go to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) for concurrence.
-EWN
In other news – Sad moments: Inside actor Menzi Ngubane’s memorial service
It was an afternoon filled with emotionally-charged tributes as those close to the late Menzi Ngubane gathered at the Assemblies Of God Sandton Church on Thursday for a memorial service fit for acting royalty.
Actors Thapelo Mokoena and Ayanda Borotho were the MCs of the day and began the programme with a moment of silence in Menzi’s honour. Learn More
