Violent crime poses threat to voter participation ahead of local election, says the IEC

THE ongoing gang violence has sparked concerns that it may hinder citizens' ability to vote as many can barely walk to the shop without fearing for their lives.

- NICOLA DANIELS

This emerged yesterday when the Electoral Commission's Western Cape Provincial Office held an event at the Dulcie September Hall in Athlone under the theme: "Violent Crime and the Impact on the Ability and Willingness of Citizens to Participate in Elections."

The event comes in the wake of grim statistics revealed by Police Minister Firoz Cachalia during a National Assembly mini-plenary last month showing that the Western Cape had recorded a staggering 490 gang-related murders in just six months, averaging 83 deaths per month.