Parliament has urged all eligible and registered South Africans to honour those who fought for the right to vote by participating in the Local Government Elections on Monday.

At least 26 million South Africans are registered to vote in the elections ,which will determine their representatives in more than 250 municipal councils in the country.

In a statement, Parliament’s presiding officers, National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and National Council of Provinces, Chairperson Amos Masondo, highlighted that the right to vote and participate in democratic elections was not always afforded to all South Africans.

“We owe it to the many heroes and heroines who fought for freedom and democracy in South Africa, as well as to future generations who should inherit a well-functioning and viable system of local government.

“The best way to honour their sacrifices is to exercise our hard earned right to vote peacefully and in a dignified manner,” the presiding officers said.

Mapisa-Nqakula and Masondo reminded South Africans that local councils are at the forefront of the provision of service delivery such as water, electricity and housing.

Therefore, they said, participation in the local government elections has an impact on how these services are delivered directly to South African homes.

“It is your basic responsibility under the Constitution to participate and determine how you are governed and ensure quality service delivery. The Local Government Elections present us with an opportunity to elect leaders that will represent the people in the local sphere of government for the next five years.

“By participating in these elections, we will be choosing people to lead in the provision of crucial basic services. We need to always claim our constitutional right to determine and influence how we are governed and hold accountable those we elect.”

Source: South African Government News Agency