At least 400 000 people registered to vote on the first voter registration weekend held ahead of the 2011 local government elections, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said on Sunday.

IEC chairperson Brigalia Bam said that by 17:00 on Saturday more than 400 000 people had registered and re-registered to vote.

She said total figures from the voter registration weekend would be available on Wednesday, but she expected the figures to increase.

She said historically more people registered on the second day of voter registration weekends.

She said that during Saturday and up until Sunday morning, the IEC's website had more than 97 000 visits and that the IEC received 197 000 SMSs from people checking whether they were registered to vote.

A further 13 000 registration status enquiries were made to the IEC's tollfree line.

Floods continued to affect voter registration, with 13 voting stations forced to close in the Northern Cape and another three closed in the northern areas of the Western Cape.

Bam praised IEC staff, including a number in remote Eastern Cape areas who were forced to sleep at a voting station after roads became impassable.

She again urged all South Africans of voting age to check their voter registration status.

It was a message that was echoed by Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille when she visited Mamelodi, in Pretoria, on Sunday morning.

Zille urged DA supporters to be strong and to exercise their right to vote.