Elections 2021: Ramaphosa to brave hostile Soweto to cast vote

President Cyril Ramaphosa will cast his vote in the township of his birth, Soweto, with the 2021 local government elections set to take place on Monday, 1 November.

Residents tell Ramaphosa to buzz off

During his election campaign trail for the African National Congress (ANC), Ramaphosa recently decided to skip a return to Soweto due to concerns he would be met with another hostile welcome there.

This is after the ANC president had to deal with residents who were angry over lack of service delivery, especially electricity supply.

On September 18, Ramaphosa was greeted by furious residents in Naledi, Soweto who accused the ANC of only remembering them when it was time to campaign for votes.

When the ANC president was finally allowed to speak, he assured the community that he had spoken to Eskom and had urged the utility to resolve the electricity crisis as soon as possible.

ALSO READ: Coalitions are coming after the ANC’s broken municipalities

Ramaphosa reiterated that the power crisis is a national one that Eskom is dealing with.

He will now return to Soweto to cast his vote at Hitekani Primary School in Chiawelo, the ANC announced on Sunday.

According to the Presidency, Ramaphosa spent his early life in Soweto and is registered to vote in Chiawelo.

On Saturday, he encouraged eligible voters to go out in their numbers to participate in the sixth municipal elections.

“As much as I am wearing the yellow t-shirt on behalf of the ANC, I am calling on all South Africans, which ever party they support, that they must go out in millions to vote. This is our civic duty and it is our constitutional right,” Ramaphosa added.

Zuma to vote in Nkandla

While ANC’s deputy president David Mabuza will cast his vote in Barberton, Mpumalanga, former president Jacob uma will vote at the Ntolwane Primary School in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

Despite accusing the ANC’s top six leaders earlier this year of failing to protect him with his troubles with the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Zuma urged voters to cast their ballots for the ruling party.

Zuma, who was released on medical parole last month, on Tuesday, said he was concerned about the number of people who had expressed a lack of interest in the 1 November polls.

READ MORE: Without economic growth, ANC’s election promises will ring hollow, warns Mbeki

Speaking in isiZulu in an 87 second video posted by his foundation on Twitter, the former president said he decided to send out a message to South Africans to encourage them to exercise their hard-won democratic right to vote in the elections.

ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe, deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte and treasurer-general Paul Mashatile will cast their votes in Boksburg, Bezuidenhout Valley and Sandton respectively.

Meanwhile, former president Thabo Mbeki will vote in Houghton, Johannesburg.

Additional reporting by Thapelo Lekabe