With the Hong Kong Sevens 2010 and Hugh Bladen’s appearance at the SAAHK’s Sevens Dinner fast approaching,  I was planning to introduce all our readers to a blog called “Over to Hugh.”  Run by two very enterprising young blokes called “Blades” and “Chowgaps,” Over to Hugh parodies the famous South African commentator using everything from the real Blades’ love for a good Scotch to his trademark words and phrases. 

Catch Hugh Bladen at the SAAHK’s Sevens Dinner in March 2010.

However, in the light of the sad passing of “the voice of rugby” Mr Bill MCLaren last month, a video on their website made me decide to use this opportunity to give you a sneak preview of “Over to Hugh” while paying tribute to the great Scotsman.

William Pollock “Bill” McLaren CBE (16 October 1923 – 19 January 2010) was a Scottish rugby union commentator. Until his retirement in 2002, he was known as ‘the voice of rugby’. Renowned throughout the sport, his enthusiasm and a memorable turn of phrase endeared him to many rugby lovers the world over.

Here’s to you Bill McLaren.

Farewell.

I don’t know if it’s my fast-approaching (much-needed) trip home or my current nationalistic pride with the Sevens Springboks recent success, but I really enjoyed Clem Sunter’s recent column on News24.

The Missus with Clem Sunter @ Sevens Dinner 2008

I first met Clem Suntera few years ago at a Rotary Club dinner in Somerset West.  The second time was during the SAAHK’s Sevens Dinner last year.  I own a couple of the well-published author and scenario-planner’s books and naturally this article tickled my fancy.

I hope you too will read it here.

Yebo Yes.  You expats out there on this side of the noodle-gordyn, unless you are one of the 673 people abroad who voted for the African National Congress… then the ruling party considers you a “right-winger” !

Yes… I’m talking to YOU!

According to News24, ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte made this statement soon after the IEC released to final tallies from the votes cast abroad about a week before the rest of the country.

“It shows you who leaves the country: all the right-wingers,” ANC spokesperson Jessie Duarte said after the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Thursday announced the results of South Africans who voted abroad.

The opposition parties got the most of the 9 857 votes. A total of 7 581 voted for the DA, 918 voted for Cope, 270 voted for the FF+, 184 voted for the ACDP and 136 voted for the ID.

The ANC received 673 votes from South Africans overseas.

Duarte’s views came after government this week praised South Africans overseas for their patriotism and interest.

Themba Maseko, the chief government spokesperson, said the optimism with which people voted in especially London, heartened government and showed that South Africans gained knowledge overseas, which they later would apply back home.

Meanwhile, it also came to light that between 500 and 600 overseas votes had gone missing as the relevant embassy(ies) did not follow the necessary procedures.

A spokesperson for the IEC on Thursday evening confirmed that there had been problems with some of the overseas votes, but said that they would only be able to release more details on Friday. 

Following on my earlier post about the expat vote, the IEC has just released the results of the expat vote about a week ago. As were expected, opposition parties overwhelmingly drew the majority of the expatriate vote with the Democratic Alliance topping the list with 7 581.

The newly-established ANC breakaway party Congress of the People (Cope) came in second on 918 votes with the South African ruling party the African National Congress (ANC) coming in third with 673 votes.

The IEC also confirmed that around 17 000 South Africans had registered to vote and while only 9 857 votes in total were counted.

Ek sit en luister aandagtig na die doen-en-late by die huis aangaande die 2009 verkiesing.  CapeTalk (www.567.co.za) doesn nou al die hele dag allerhande stories oor die gebeure omdat die uitslae heelwat traag deurkom. 

Terwyl ek hierdie pos tik, begin dinge egter vinniger gaan, en alles gesê sal die oorgrootste meerderheid van die uitslae teen middernag (Hong Kong tyd) beskikbaar wees. 

Ek het die volgende storie op Die Burger se web-werf opgetel, aldus my “fout-lose” Afrikaans! (Nes die Kaapse komediant Marc Lottering kan ek ook getuig dat ek “Afrikaans oppie hoër graad geslaag het!”) Donkie- jare t’rug, maar steeds!

Opposisiepartye ‘wen’ buite SA

SAREL VAN DER WALT
23/04/2009 07:38:02 AM – (SA)

Pretoria. – Van die sowat 16 000 Suid-Afrikaners wat in die buiteland geregistreer het om aan die verkiesing deel te neem, het net 10 495 gestem.
“Van dié stemme het 90% aan die opposisiepartye gegaan,” het mnr. Willie Spies van die VF+ Donderdag gesê.
Die meeste Suid-Afrikaners in die buiteland het hul kruisies agter die DA se naam getrek, gevolg deur die ANC, Cope en die VF+.

Spies sê die feit dat die oorgrote meerderheid stemme aan oppisisiepartye gegaan het, verklaar waarom die ANC so traag was om stemreg vir Suid-Afrikaners in die buiteland te erken.

Die stemme van die Suid-Afrikaners wat in die buiteland gestem het, is by die OVK se hoofkantoor in Walkerstraat, Sunnyside, Pretoria, getel en omstreeks 05:00 bekend gemaak.

Spies het erken die VF+ sou graag ‘n “groter hap van die oorsese koek” wou hê, maar aanvaar dat daar baie min tyd vir stemwerwing onder Suid-Afrikaners in die buiteland was.

Zoopy (a sort-of home-grown YouTube) reported on Nelson Madiba voting at his local voting station in Sandton today:

(as things go, Zoopy may take a while to load, but we live in hope)

The South Africans daily newspapers today(Friday April 03, 2009) declared that a total of 16 300 will be voting in the forthcoming National Elections.  The figures released by the IEC actually makes for interesting reading. 

News24 wrote that:

A total of 7 460 people in London will cast their votes in the poll, while 1 228 will vote in Canberra and 889 in Dubai. Smaller numbers of people will vote at other voting points overseas.

We all know that the UK has by far the largest population of expatriate South Africans.  Ironically they are seeming the most organised group of Saffas, so the figure released is understandable.  However 228 in Canberra?  There has got to be more Saffas out there able to cast their vote?  The only reason I can think of is that they are sorted in their new, adopted country and can’t be bothered to turn up for any voting.  Same goes for the Saffas in New Zealand and probably Canada and the USA.  Saffas who generally migrate to these countries go there with the intention to apply for permanent citizenship and more often than not, get it.

But what about Dubai?  The figure given 889 boggles the mind.  First of all, I know for a fact that there are many more than 889 South Africans currently in Dubai.  The chances of them applying and being granted permanent citizenship is almost nil/zero/boggerol/fokkol… which-ever way you think about it.  Same for places like Macau and yes, Hong Kong.  In Hong Kong, after a few years you can apply for permanent residence but citizenship is all but OUT of the question. 

The Saffas in Taiwan do deserve a special mention.  I lived there for a few years and I can tell you that that lot just doesn’t care, either way.  They won’t bother to vote ever if the IEC flies in a special plane with voting booths and all!  They are there because they think that they are better off than back home.  Most of them fled there making a living an a lie… that they come from an English-speaking country and therefore they are qualified to teach English to the locals.  Most of them get by simply because they are white.  Fact.  They make a bit of money mascerading as “teachers” while most get hitched to local girls and end up staying for life.  Taiwanese women can’t adapt to living anywhere BUT in Taiwan and even those few who move with their spouses eventually return to Taiwan.  That’s because in Taiwanese culture, women rule the roost. Fact again. 

These South Africans don’t care for South Africa and probably will never return there.  I’d like to see the numbers who have registered to vote in Taiwan.  I promise you it will not reflect the actual numbers of eligible Saffas out there… and there are THOUSANDS!! 

So where are the Saffas in Hong Kong?  There are thousand of us out here.  I know a lot of the older Saffa blokes who have been here for many years love Wanchai and the ’benefits’ it provides and probably couldn’t be bothered anyway, but I’d love to see the figures for Hong Kong.  Surely the younger set have different expectations and are, after all, elegible to cast their vote?

Or is it the oft-quoted issue of South African apathy?

I stand corrected.

I just received the following e-mail regarding the voting procedure for expatriate South Africans here in the SAR.  I quote:

This email is directed to all South Africans who wish vote in the National and Provincial Elections on the 22nd April, 2009.

Please note that all information relevant to the elections is available at http://www.elections.org.za/

Important dates to remember:

Friday, 27th March, 2009 is the last day you can apply to the Independant Election Committee for the right to cast an overseas vote.

Wednesday, 15th April, 2009 is the day you may cast your vote at the South Afrcan Consulate’s office in Hong Kong if you have met the registration requirments and have your passport and green ID book with a barcode.

Procedure to follow:

In order to vote, you have to have your name on a voters’ roll in South Africa. You may check at the above website, by entering your ID number, to see if you are registered.

If you voted in 1994, your name does not appear on the current voters’ rolls. You must have registered as a voter after 1994. The voters’ rolls have closed. Thus if you have not registered, there is no way that you can take part in the upcoming election.

If you are a registered voter, you have passed the first hurdle. Next you must ensure that you are registered with the Independant Election Committee as an Overseas Voter.

In order to do that, you need to complete form VEC10 and email it to vec10@elections.org.za by Friday, 27th March. I would advise that you check that the IEC has received and registered your application.

There is no information on the website how to do this. Maybe you will receive an email confirming that you are registered.

Now that you are registered, you have to arrive at the Consulate on the 15th April 2009 with your passport and your South African ID book. Please note that the ID book must be the new bar-coded version.

The Consulate will inform us later of the voting times.

Please note that the IEC will forward the names of the people eligible to vote in Hong Kong to the Consulate. You will not be allowed to vote if your name does not appear on that list.

If you have any questions, you may contact me or Ms Zozo Dyani at the Consulate. Her email is: dyanien@foreign.gov.za

To add to the above, my personal understanding is that expats cannot cast a vote for the Provincial Elections, but only a National Vote.

Watch this space…

(Johannesburg  12/03/2009 13:38)

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said it was ready to accommodate registered voters living overseas, following Thursday’s Constitutional Court judgment on the matter.

“All we have to look at now is the numbers we are talking about,” said chief electoral officer Pansy Tlakula after the judgment in Johannesburg.

In two judgments, the court ruled that all registered voters living overseas can vote for national assembly representation on April 22 provided they notify the commission of their intention by March 27.

But, the court did not support an application to allow registration overseas, nor a vote for provincial representation.

“We are relieved this is over,” said Tlakula.  “There is certainty on the matter and we will able to start preparing for overseas votes.”

Contingency plans

About 5 000 people had already notified the commission of their intention to vote.

“We expect the numbers will maybe double or more.”  She was relieved the court only ruled for registered voters.

The commission always planned for a “worst case scenario” and had previously had to provide three million extra ballot papers in a last minute court success by the African Christian Democratic Party in a previous election.  “We had some contingency plans so it wasn’t a problem for us.”

Willie Spies, lawyer for Pretoria teacher Willem Richter who got the Pretoria High Court to support his bid to vote while he works in the UK, said he was very pleased with the judgment.

“His mother (Richter’s) is here and she will probably SMS him straight away,” said Spies.  “We got exactly what we asked for.”

Anthony Penderis of the A-Party, who had hoped to get unregistered voters the right to register abroad, said the right to vote while abroad was a democratic success and they would work on the overseas registration.

Afriforum’s Kallie Kriel said they would now concentrate on getting the overseas registered voters to get in touch with the IEC before the March deadline.

Right to vote

Handing down the first of two separate judgments, Justice Kate O’Regan said the right to vote had a symbolic and democratic value and those who were registered should not be limited by unconstitutional and invalid limitations in the Electoral Act.

These had limited special votes to international sportsmen, government officials, people on temporary holidays and business trips.

A second judgment by Justice Sandile Ngcobo questioned why unregistered voters had left their court challenge so late, given that it could lead to an undesirable delay to electoral deadlines.

The limitations had been in effect since 2003 and they had not explained why they had left the matter so late, so they were denied access to the court.

He explained that the effect of the two judgments is: “South African citizens abroad and who are registered as voters will be allowed to vote. Those who are not registered will not.”

(SAPA)

Expats: Are you registered?

The Constitutional Court ruled on Thursday that registered voters living overseas can vote for the National Assembly in the April 22 elections.

They must notify the chief electoral officer of their intention to vote by March 27, the court ordered.

The IEC has not yet clarified whether South Africans living abroad will need to fill out the VEC10 form, which is the form those who applied for permission to cast a special vote submitted to the chief electoral officer.

Expats who have not yet registered will not be allowed to register ahead of the April 22 elections.

Registration with the IEC closed on February 11. In terms of legislation, the window for new voters to register closes when the election date is proclaimed by the President in the government gazette.

There are three ways to check if you are registered to vote with the IEC.

Expats can visit elections.org and enter their ID number and a verification code to check their registration details on line.

Inside South Africa, potential voters can SMS their ID number to 32810 or call the IEC on 0800 11 8000.

(Thanks to News24)