Chronicle Editor
JOHANNESBURG — Voting stations opened at 7am around the country as South Africans geared up to vote in the seventh democratic elections yesterday, 30 years since the fall of apartheid.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said some 26 million South Africans are registered to vote and were expected to make their mark yesterday.
With some voting stations seeing queuing lines as young and old make their mark. With the youth coming out in numbers to let their vote count.
The network of 23,292 voting stations across the country opened at 7am and were expected to close by 9pm. If you find yourself in the queues at 9pm, are eligible to vote but have not done so, the IEC said that you won’t be turned away and will be allowed to vote.
“It is important to emphasise that eligible voters who will be at the voting station at 9pm will be allowed to vote and not turned away,” the IEC said.
There were no incidents of violence reported and for most of the country voting stations were off to a smooth start.
In Centurion, voting got off to a slow start at Wierda Independent School and by 7am, there were a handful of people already gathered to wait in line in the chilly conditions with temperatures not yet above 10 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile in Durban, Pilot Reinhardt Hanel took to the skies to fly a giant South African flag across the City, hoping to encourage people to go out and vote.
Speaking to IOL, he said he’ll be flying the 400sqm flag from uMhlanga, across Durban.
Political leaders led by example as many of them had already made their mark by 10am.
President Cyril Ramaphosa cast his vote at the Chiawelo voting station in Soweto after arriving just after 10am.
Ramaphosa said he was delighted to vote in the township he grew up in.
“This is the day when South Africans decide on the future of the country,” he said.
Ramaphosa said his voting experience was quick and said it was a “wonderful day”.
Deputy President Paul Mashatile cast his vote at the St Johannes Lutheran Church in Kelvin, Sandton.
DA leader John Steenhuisen was expected to cast his vote at the Northwood High School in Durban North. Good leader and Tourism Minister Patricia De Lille voted in Cape Town.
Western Cape, Premier Alan Winde was expected to cast his vote at the Jan Van Riebeeck High School in Cape Town. Also in the Western Cape, Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton Mckenzie was expected to vote in Kraaifontein.
The IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa voted in Kwa Hlabisa.
Bosa leader Mmusi Maimane voted at the Dobsonville Presbyterian Church. ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba voted at the Sandton Fire Station.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the MK Party leader former president Jacob Zuma was expected to vote at the Ntolwane Primary School in Nkandla.
EFF leader Julius Malema was expected to cast his vote in his Seshego home town, while his Deputy President Floyd Shivambu in Mofolo, Soweto. — Iol
Online Reporter