Ann Eveleth
Rural voters in 22 KwaZulu-Natal communities
have threatened to boycott next month’s
elections if democratic reforms are not
introduced in their areas, the Association
for Rural Advancement (Afra) said this week,.
The communities — representing about 20 000
voters in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands and
north-west regions — called on Local
Government MEC Peter Miller to delay elections
to sort out problems with the rural model, or
face a boycott.
The province’s rural local government model
provides for traditional leaders to act as
primary local government, while rural voters
in traditional areas would only cast a vote
for one of eight Regional Councils, on which
the chiefs would also serve.
Afra said the community representatives argued
that the rural local government model was
“undemocratic because it lacks primary
stuctures, and the system of voting compels
them to vote for political party
representatives, rather than community
candidates of their choice”.
The representatives said they had not been
consulted about the model and had not
benefited from any voter education so far.
Miller’s representative, Dr Warick Dorning,
said Miller had not been approached by the
groups and was therefore “not prepared to
respond and will not be pressurised by the
media”.