SOUTHERN AFRICA PROJECT SOUTH AFRICA: TIlE COUNTDOWN TO ELECTIONS Lawyers' Committee for Civil Right~ Under Law 1450 G Street, NW., Suite 400 • Washington, D.C. 20005 • (202) 662-8342 Issue 10: April 8, 1994 u.s. POLLING SITES FOR S.A. Specifically, some U.S.-based South Africans have ELECTIONS ANNOUNCED; complained that they have received information about ELIGffiILITY QUESTIONS RAISED voter eligibility from representatives of the South African government that is in conflict with information obtained from the lEC. South Africans residing outside of South Africa will have the opportunity to participate in the historic For instance, according to a source at the African April election when they cast their ballots on April American Institute which has been fielding some of 26th, 1994 at designated polling sites around the the complaints, South Africans have been told by world. South African government representatives that they must show proof of indemnity (excused from Voters residing in the U.S. will be able to cast their punishment for crimes committed in the furtherance votes in one of the following cities: Atlanta, Boston, of a political aim) before they can receive eligibility Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, documentation. According to the IEC, no such proof Miami, New York, North Carolina, Philadelphia, is required. Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, South Carolina and Washington, DC. Since the lEC has not sent its own representatives to the approximately 80 countries in which South Complaints have been lodged with the Independent Africans residing outside ofSouth Africa are likely to Electoral Commission ("lEe") which contend that the vote, existing government outposts, in addition to lEC did not take into account the large South African processing requests for eligibility documents, have student population residing in the Pacific Northwest also assumed the primary responsibility of providing and the Midwest. Aside from Chicago, there are no information on eligibility. The lEC has undertaken other polling sites in those geographic areas. to ensure that any information discrepancies are Students have complained that they have insufficient resolved. funds to travel long distances to reach the existing polling sites and have proposed the addition ofpolling The NAACP has agreed to serve as a primary sites in either Seattle or Portland and in strategic independent source of voter education for South locations in the Midwest. African voters here in the U.S. Potential voters may call their toll free number at 1-800-622-2755. Voter Eligibility U.S. Monitors Recruited Complaints have also been lodged with the lEC concerning the South African Consular offices' Meanwhile, the IEC last week began the process of handling of requests from South Africans residing in recruiting individuals to monitor foreign polling sites. the U.S. for information about how to qualify as an Specifically, monitors will be asked to begin work as eligible voter. soon as they are notified of their selection as 2 monitors. Monitoring prior to election day will school records or a South African house permit in involve monitoring the performance of South African your name. If you do not have any of the required government officials with respect to providing documents, you may present a witness who possesses accurate information about voter eligibility and the the necessary identification for him or herself and election process and the processing of eligibility who can give a sworn statement on your behalf that documents. Individuals will also be selected to you are a South African citizen. ensure that ballot boxes are secured both prior to and after election day. They will also be required to In all cases, South Africans residing in the U.S. who accompany secured ballot boxes to and from airports. wish to vote are urged to contact the South African Marked ballots from abroad are required to be in consulate nearest them to ensure that they meet South Africa by the end of the day on April 28th, the eligibility requirements. Ifafter having consulted the last day of general voting. consulate, you are not satisfied with the information provided, contact the IEC directly at 011-27-11-928­ BASICS ON VOTING _ AND 1000 to 19dge your complaint. ELIGmILITY What Are the Voting Procedures? The following is a summary of what South Africans residing in the U.S. should know about the voting On voting day, April 26th, you will first be asked to process here: identify one of the nine regions in South Africa in which you wish to cast your vote after having been Who Can Vote? shown a map of the nine regions. You will be asked to complete a sworn affidavit indicating the region of All South African citizens over 18 are eligible to your choice. Next you will be handed two ballots, vote. You are a citizen if you: one for the national legislature and the other for the • were born in South Africa region you have chosen. • are a child of a South African (who has registered as such) You will then be led to a secret balloting booth in • are a naturalized South African who has also which you will have the opportunity to mark the two qualified for permanent residence ballots by placing an identification mark (a cross, tick, check, plus or other mark) in the box next to the What Documents Are Needed to Vote? party you support. There will be no voting for individuals, only parties. Parties have published their lists of candidates in order of priority and these are In order to prove that you are indeed a citizen, you available upon request from the various mission are required to produce one of the following offices. All ballots will be cast in secret and ballots documents: cannot be traced-l9 individual voters. • a valid (current) passport (South African or If you make a mistake in marking your ballot (i.e. if American indicating South African birth) you mark the wrong box or more than one box), the mistake must be immediately reported to the • an ID document (old dark blue/new green) presiding officer before the ballot is placed in the ballot box. Once the mistake is reported, you will be • an old green ID card (issued until 1972) issued a new ballot and your first ballot will be canceled. The presiding officer may reject your • a reference book (all versions) request for a new ballot if you are unable to satisfy him/her that your error was genuine. In addition, • an identity document produced by TBVC states) your fmger will be stained with indelible ink, to prevent voting more than once.-- African American Other documents that are not sufficient, but may help Institute to prove South African citizenship are a United Nations or U.S. Travel Document, your birth or baptismal certificate, clinic or hospital records, SEE SAMPLE BALWT NEXT PAGE AFRICA MUSLIM PARTY AFRICAN CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY Make your mark next to the party you choose. Piau u merk laogs die party van u keuse. AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT Ets.a leuhwao pela mokgatlo 00 0 0 kgelhang Olra lesw.o I. g.go go leb.n. Ie ph.thi yeo 0 e kgethago. Yenta luphawu ecelenl kwellcembu loltkheuako ~ h' vha Ite luswayo phanda ha dzangano line vha kheth•. Endl. mfungho edhelo k. v.ndl. len u n hl.wul.k•. Yenza uph.wu Iwakho ec.lem kweqela elo ulikhethayo. AFRICAN MODERATES CONGRESS PARTY B.y. letshwao go leb.g.n. Ie lekoko I. g.go Oweb. uphawu esikh.leni esiseduze kwenhlangano oyikhethayo. Yenza uphawu I.kho eduze nehl.ng.no oylkhethako. AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS PAN AFRICAN 1ST CONGRESS OF AZANIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY • SPORTS ORGANISATION FOR COllECTIVE DEMOKRATIESE PARTY SOCCER CONTRIBUTIONS AND EQUAL RIGHTS DIKWANKWETlA rARTY OF SOUTH AFRICA THE KEEP IT STRAIGHT AND " ':." ~ KISS SIMPLE PARTY FEDERAL PARTY VRYHEIDSFRONT . FREEDOM FRONT LUSO . SOUTH AFRICAN PARTY WOMEN'S RIGHTS PEACE PARTY M.d.F ...::'~~.~ ---I~~~I----4 WORKERS' LIST PARTY I-M_I_N_O_R,IT__Y_F_RO_NT =- NATION,l\l PARTY· NASIONAl.E PARTY NP XIMOKO PROGRESSIVE PARTY .. Presenl 'd by the Voter Educotiuo Programn,e fA tht: Indcpend~nt Electorul Commission. 4 VIOLENCE MONITOR 0 EMIGRATION AD CAMPAIGN IN FULL SWING While the political violence in the areas surrounding Johannesburg has subsided in the past week, the State As the April election nears, South African newspaper ofEmergency recently declared in the Natal province readers are being increasingly bombarded by offers has done little to quell the violence that continues to of emigration assistance. In the South African-based rage there. Business Times, for example, it is not uncommon for an entire page to be dedicated to such advertisements. According to the Johannesburg-based Human Rights The following advertisement is illustrative: Commission ("HRC"), ANC supporters were the victims in more than half of the 77 deaths recorded SOUTH AFRICA = BOSNIA? by HRC between March 30th and April 5th. In most of the reports received by the HRC, the attackers One cannot deny that South Africa's vast cultural and were identified as members of the Inkatha Freedom economic disparities coupled to current political Party. The affected areas were as follQws: Durban developments do not bode well for a peaceful and (31 deaths, 48 injuries); Midlands (7 deaths, 11 prosperousfuture. To ensure that yourfamily has the injuries); N.Coast (27 deaths, 35 injuries); N.Natal (3 option of legitimately leaving SA, consider applying deaths) and S.Coast (9 deaths and 1 injury). The for alternative residency before 27 April. You have HRC noted in its weekly violence update for that an excellent chance of qualifying for residency in period that the number of deaths it recorded was NEWZEALAND orAUSIRALIA ifyou have a degree likely to have been understated as a result of the fact or diploma, have work experience related to your that two of the weekdays of that period were qualification, and are between 18 and 54 years of holidays.