Camaraderie at voting stations

The EXPRESS area saw thousands of people take to the polls. This included the elderly, first time voters and even young children wanting to be part of the experience… even if it was just for a selfie or two while waiting with their parents in the queue.

Most of the local voting stations were busy in the morning with some people queuing before 7am. Although some people waited about two hours in queues they were quite happy to do so considering the camaraderie, efficiency of Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) officials, police officers and Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers. Vuvuzelas also made a comeback in some areas to mark the special occasion while some residents used the day to sell some snacks and drinks close to voting stations. Mrs Lornette Joseph, the chairperson of the I Love Kensington Association (Ilka) who voted at the Kensington Club, said, “It was well organised, the staff was friendly and police officers were nice. It made voting painless. The longest part was me deciding who to vote for. I had an idea before I went there but seeing the ballot papers made it seem ‘real’ and a bit daunting.”

Mrs Sandi van Tonder, who voted at Hofland Park in Bez Valley with her family, said, “We were done in less than 15 minutes because we are senior citizens. The staff was friendly and there were lots of police officers around.”

These authorities and some residents were commended by members of the public for taking extra care of the elderly and people with special needs, some of whom were escorted from their vehicles.

As the day progressed, queues moved faster with people in and out of voting stations in 10 minutes. IEC officials at some voting stations said they had more people than expected due to voters choosing venues different to where they were registered at. However, the day ran smoothly.

The Jeppe and Cleveland SAPS were out in full force. Constable Mpho Mashakane, who was stationed at Kensington Ridge Primary School, said the precinct was quiet with no election-related violence reported.

“Cleveland SAPS policed nine voting stations and no criminal activities were reported during this period,” she said.

Colonel Bongani Dlamini, the Cleveland SAPS station commander, commended police officers under his command for a job well done. “I praise them, thank the community for voting and keeping the peace as well as all others who played a part,” he said.

Warrant Officer Richard Munyai, the Jeppe SAPS communications officer, who was based at a voting station in Terrace Road in Bertrams, said the precinct was quiet.

Brigadier Govindsamy Mariemuthoo, the Jeppe SAPS station commander, said the election process ran smoothly in the precinct. “There were no election-related problems. Our members were at voting stations. I thank members for their excellent work. They worked long hours to ensure safety. I also thank the community for ensuring a smooth flow at voting stations during the elections. They waited in queues patiently and I commend everyone,” he said.

@JoziReporter