President Mothlanthe recently announced that the 2009 elections will take place on April 22.  South Africans abroad, at this stage qualify to cast a Special Vote under the following circumstances (temporary absence from South Africa for the purpose of):

* holiday

* a business trip

* study at a tertiary institution

* an educational visit

* participation in an international sports event

Remember: To apply for a special vote in the upcoming 2009 National and Provincial Elections, it is a pre-requisite that you must be a registered voter and you must be in a possession of a green bar coded identity document or a valid temporary identity certificate. Your details must be on the National Voters’ Roll where you are ordinarily resident in South Africa.

The deadline to apply for a special vote is midnight on 27 February 2009.