AS election fever hits South Africa, cellular services are playing a crucial role in voter registration.
The Independent Electoral Commission, which regulates the country’s elections, has introduced such a service to enable voters to check their registration status.
Through the initiative, prospective voters can sms their ID numbers to 32810 to check their status.
The Southern African country holds a crucial election in early 2009 which also include a presidential poll.
Analysts believe it is the most crucial election since the demise of apartheid in 1994 when retired president Nelson Mandela ascended to the presidential throne.
More than 21 million voters, 55 percent of them women, are on the IEC’s voters’ roll and 22 million are expected to be registered for the 2009 polls.
More than 130 registered political parties are on the IEC’s database but not all will necessarily contest the elections.
At least 19 705 voting stations have been identified for the 2009 polls, an increase from 14 650 stations in 1999 when the country held its first democratic polls.