The 2011 South African Municipal Elections will be held between March and June 2011 for all districts and local municipalities in all 9 existing provinces. Municipal elections are held every five years and the previous municipal elections were held in 2006. The 2011 municipal elections will elect the members of the district, metropolitan and local municipal councils, who, in turn, will elect the mayors of the municipalities to office.
Why Vote?
Elections are an important way in which a society debates and decides on its future direction. They also provide a golden opportunity for voters to exercise many of their constitutional rights. Elections are a cornerstone of democracy. Democracy gives us freedom of choice, freedom of expression, belief and opinion – and freedom to vote. In a multiparty democracy, we get to choose. This is an important right and one that we must safeguard and uphold. Multipartyism is one of the pillars of democracy. In a multiparty system, citizens can form political parties to promote their own particular vision for the country. They are also free to support the political party of their choice. In this way, a multiparty system promotes two important human rights: freedom of association and freedom of choice. An election celebrates those rights by giving citizens an opportunity to shape the future of their country. It’s important to remember that democracy goes both ways. It’s the government’s duty to meet your needs and represent your interests. But you also have a responsibility to contribute to democracy by voting. If you don’t vote, you can’t complain that the government hasn’t met its obligations – because you haven’t met your obligations either!
Source: Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)
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