NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 1881
DATE OF PUBLICATION: Friday, 02 August 2013
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 24 of 2013
Mr M S F de Freitas (DA) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:
What voter education programmes will be rolled out ahead of the 2014
elections?
NW2230E
REPLY:
The question was referred to the Electoral Commission and it advised as
follows:
The following voter education programmes will be rolled out ahead of the
2014 elections:
⢠Mass Civic and Voter Education Programme:
This includes on-the-ground campaigns with communities, partners and
strategic stakeholders to promote and increase knowledge and
understanding of the 2014 elections as well as empowering the
electorate to register and participate fully in the 2014 electoral
process.
⢠Voter Education Programme for Persons with Disabilities:
This programme focuses on increasing access to vote and to electoral
processes for Persons with Disabilities.
⢠Multimedia Voter Education Programme:
This includes educational radio and television campaigns to raise
awareness of the 2014 elections and to encourage active and informed
citizen participation in the elections. Information will also be
provided on social media platforms.
⢠Voter Education Training of Trainer Programmes:
This involves working with lead trainers from various strategic
stakeholder groupings (such as civil society organisations, chapter
nine institutions, faith-based organisations, traditional leadership
structures) to build capacity and heighten their understanding of
electoral processes.
⢠Voter Education Programme for Schools:
In partnership with the Department of Basic Education, a âDemocracy
Weekâ will be held in schools to raise learnersâ awareness of
electoral processes and to entrench registration, voting, and active
participation as fundamental civic responsibilities. Learners will be
motivated to register as voters and participate in the electoral
process. In this way, amongst others, the under representation of
youth on the votersâ roll will be addressed.