JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- South African Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa on Friday officially proclaimed Nov. 4 as the date for the country's local government elections, launching the 90-day countdown to the polls.
Hlabisa made the proclamation in Durban, formally calling the elections and setting in motion the electoral timetable and other procedures required ahead of polling day, according to the South African Broadcasting Corporation, the state broadcaster.
The proclamation also triggers the closure of the voters' roll at midnight Friday. After the deadline, no new voter registrations or changes to existing registration details will be allowed until after the elections.
Eligible voters have until midnight Friday to register or update their details online or at offices of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).
South Africans will go to the polls on Nov. 4 to elect municipal representatives for a new five-year term.
The IEC said earlier that its final voter registration weekend had been successfully completed, with strong logistical and operational performance reported across the country. ■