The voter registration slotted for January 26-27, 2019 was characterised by diminished inflows of people interested in the exercise. A survey carried out by the Kathu Gazette during the past weekend witnessed various political parties including the ruling one crying foul with the rest describing it as a clear signal to a lethargic election.

 Hilda Gomotsegang of the Economic Freedom Fighters stationed in Maruping said very few people came to the registration centre. She said that young people are not interested in participating in the exercise giving various reasons to the effect that the eventual results have one common denominator.

Tshireletso Gasianelwe of the Democratic Alliance also echoed similar sentiments from her desk revealing that their table never registered a member in the two-day exercise. Mike Kgosienewang, Maruping branch chairperson of the African National Congress had a slightly different story as the second day had improved figures over the first. More pleasing was that new entrants availed themselves to the voter’s role.

    He said that the first-time members showed great interest. Asked why there was such a poor turnout transcended across the whole region of the John Taolo Gaetsewe, he gave out a miscellany of reasons that equally gave some logic. Registered members can check their names through the electronic process and therefore very unnecessary to come to the registration points for the verification process.

 Only those who are not acquainted with the electronic systems had to go and check for their names. By mid-Sunday 53 people had come to confirm their registration while 27 new registered voters had visited the station. The registration’s passive mode could be caused by a number of reasons associated with distance, state of the affairs in the political space, the socio-economic dynamics in the region and the country have direct permutations in the exercise.

    The provincial chairman of the ANC Mr Zamani Saul and his local leadership monitored the exercise by visiting numerous stations in the rural Kuruman while Susan Shabangu, the minister of Social Development was in Kathu. Meanwhile the registration exercise continues unperturbed until the President announces the election dates.