All the voting day drama
JOBURG – Voters go out in their numbers to make their voices heard through the mark.
Following months of campaigning and electioneering, the much awaited day arrived. On 3 August, thousands of South Africans headed to the polls to cast their votes for the 2016 Municipal Elections.
The nippy weather did not stop eligible voters from casting their ballots, with most people going together as a family. One family that arrived together to cast their votes was the DA Mayoral Candidate’s, Herman Mashaba.
Read: Elections off to a bad start
Mashaba arrived with his wife, Connie and daughter, Khensani and they patiently queued with other voters at the Sandton Fire Station which served as their voting station.
The mayoral hopeful praised the IEC staff at this voting station for their efficiency. “You would actually wish that the entire country would work like this, all the time and not just during election day. It would be great to receive such great levels of service delivery at all government departments.”
The election day was not drama free. At Killarney Country Club, a man had to be escorted from the voting station after shouting at former President Kgalema Motlanthe. The man kept on interrupting Motlanthe who was addressing the media just before casting his vote. “How do you sleep at night, how do you sleep at night, sir?” the young man repeatedly shouted.
Motlanthe initially ignored the young man and continued with his interview but at the end of his address, he explained that the young man was exercising his democratic right and that needed to be respected.
Motlanthe together with his wife, Gugu, were in a long queue along with other voters. He said standing in the long queue was a matter of principle. “No one should ever allow protocol issues to push them ahead of the queue. We should not ask others to do what we are not prepared to do.”
WATCH: IEC pleased with Election Day
In Rosebank, former President Thabo Mbeki took a stroll from his house as he walked to the Holy Family College, which was his voting station. Mbeki first made a brief stop at the ANC and DA gazebos, where he greeted party agents, with DA agents throwing advice at him and telling him to vote wisely. But Mbeki responded by telling them that campaigning time was over. With no long queue at this station, Mbeki was in and out in a few minutes.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chief electoral officer (CEO), Mosotho Moepya has expressed satisfaction with how election day went, based on reports he received from voting stations. Moepya said despite what he described as minor glitches, the commission managed to deliver on its mandate. He added that the IEC was proud that South Africans voted peacefully, patiently and passionately.
