Vote, vaccinate and get vouchers: Government incentivises voter turnout

Malehlohonolo Moloi gets vaccinated by Emile Hamilton. Ayepyep Lifestyle Lounge in Kloof Street, Cape Town, hosted a vaccination drive at their premises. Photographer: Armand Hough/African News Agency(ANA)

Malehlohonolo Moloi gets vaccinated by Emile Hamilton. Ayepyep Lifestyle Lounge in Kloof Street, Cape Town, hosted a vaccination drive at their premises. Photographer: Armand Hough/African News Agency(ANA)

Published Oct 29, 2021

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Voters who turnout to cast their ballot can also receive their Covid-19 vaccine and if they are over the age of 60, receive a R100 grocery voucher.

Health Minister Joe Phaahla said in a media briefing on Friday that there would be 1 000 vaccination pop-ups at voting stations across the country.

“We are very pleased with the partnership with which we've agreed on with the Independent Electoral Commission to vaccinate on election day. The sites will be set up in the voting precinct but outside the area demarcated strictly for voting so that the vaccination site will not interfere with the main purpose of the day,” he said.

The vaccination pop-ups will mainly be set up in areas where the uptake of vaccination has not been very good up to now. The list of vaccination sites can be found on the SA Coronavirus website.

“We hope that this arrangement will offer convenience to people who have travelled to have cast their ballots, and they can then achieve both casting their ballots and vaccinating in one trip,” he said.

Phaahla also announced several incentives for voters.

The first 260 000 individuals over the age of 60 who receive their first dose in November will receive a R100 grocery voucher that can be redeemed at Usave, Shoprite or Checkers.

The R26 million worth of vouchers was sponsored by DG Murray Trust, Allan Gray Financial Services, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Elma vaccines foundation, and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation.

Nandos has offered R500 vouchers to the 15 best performing vaccination teams at voting sites across the country. The company will donate 1 000 vouchers to the teams who vaccinate the most people on election day.

Healthcare workers will receive a R100 Uber voucher to get to pop-up vaccination sites to vaccinate people on election day.

Uber has also offered all South Africans R35 off on two rides to and from voting stations with the code VOTESA21.

Phaahla said the remaining three days before elections are very “risky” as political parties will be rallying supporters.

“We appeal to all political parties to approach their final push with caution. We will only know on the 15th of November whether we have gone through the elections safely,” he said.

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