​Rofhiwa Marubini 
The Gauteng Provincial Government has urged people to continue to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols on the day of the Local Government Elections on Monday.
"Wearing a mask, maintaining a safe physical distance, and sanitising or washing hands with soap remain the most effective measures to prevent the spread of the virus," the Province said in a statement on Friday.
While the Electoral Commission (IEC) will provide sanitised pens at voting stations, the electoral body has encouraged voters to bring their own as a further measure to prevent the spread of the virus at voting stations.
All those involved in the campaigns, elections and those who are assisting are reminded about the need to continue to adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols as mass gatherings remain potential super-spreaders of the virus.
"Notwithstanding the fact that most gatherings are held outdoors, the risk is still high when large crowds gather without observing a safe physical distancing, no masks, and singing or chanting."
The provincial Department of Health will set up at least 94 pop-up vaccination sites near voting stations in all five districts in the province.
This will supplement the national Health Department's 1 000 pop-up sites that will also be operational near polling stations across the country.
As at 28 October 2021, 5,9 million vaccinations have been administered, with 3.9 million people receiving one dose of either J&J or Pfizer and 2,9 million people have been fully vaccinated in Gauteng.
South Africans are going to polls on Monday, November, to elect councillors for all district, metropolitan and local municipalities in each of the country's nine provinces.
About 26-million South Africans are eligible to vote with over 95 thousand candidates running for elections. Voting stations will be open from 8am to 5pm.
The casting of special votes got underway on Saturday and Sunday. The IEC says special votes are more important in this year's elections, given the COVID-19 context, which required the IEC to reduce congestion at voting stations on election day.