Kempton Park residents have their say in 2024 Elections
Voting got under way at Old Apostolic Church in Glen Marais with little to no hiccups at all. Residents are determined to make their mark and vote for a better South Africa.
Kempton Park residents headed to the polling stations on May 29 to vote in South Africa’s national elections.
At the Old Apostolic Church in Glen Marais, residents were undeterred by long, slow-moving queues determined to make their voices heard.
The Kempton Express spoke to first-time voter Afrika Mgoqi.
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“It’s quite a good experience because I’ve been waiting for this day. I got here early and the long queue did not dampen my spirit,” she said.
Mgoqi added that she would like to see Kempton Park and South Africa as a whole change for the better.
“There’s a lot of unemployed youth. I also fall under that statistic, and I would like to see that change after the elections.
“I’d like to see the youth get more and more job opportunities,” she said.
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Fellow voter Clifford Chauke said although this year was not his first time voting, he felt it was the most important election yet.
“Even if I leave this voting station at midnight, I won’t mind. I’m determined to cast my vote,” he said.
“It’s unfortunate that many young people didn’t register to vote. The youth should register to vote in the next elections because it is important to make your voice heard and to make a difference,” he added.
Chauke said he believes that coalition governments are the future.
“I think it would be good for the country if the ruling party gets 45%, so they will be forced to form a coalition government with an opposition party that can keep them in check,” he said.
Councillor Jaco Terblanche was present at the Old Apostolic Church to oversee proceedings.
“It was an exciting day. People arrived at 05:00 to stand in the queue to cast their votes for change,” he said.
Terblanche said many young people still have no interest in politics.
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He said he believes the country will see more young people registering to vote in the future.
“We need change. We can’t go on like this. We need to start providing services to people. We need to clean up Kempton Park and the rest of South Africa together.
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“The people who came out to make their mark today show that they want services and they want change in the country,” he said.
