#Ihavemademymark: Residents of Wilro Park share their voting day stories
Residents of Wilro Park who voted at the West Rand Lutheran Community Church say they've made a difference.
May 29 was the day that all South Africans had been waiting for. The 2024 elections were highly anticipated, and about 28 million South Africans registered for national and provincial elections.
The Roodepoort area was no different, as thousands of people were happy to exercise their democratic rights. The Roodepoort Record visited some of the voting stations, and despite the long queues, offline voting systems, the voters were happy that this day was finally here.
The Record visited the Wilro Park voting station at the West Rand Lutheran Community Church to get a few snaps of those who had already made their mark.
This voting station was also graced by the presence of Johannesburg’s Executive Mayor, Clr Kabelo Gwamanda, who was also ready to cast his vote.
Lance Peter and Leon Leslie Norris, two brothers who are first-time voters, felt great that they participated in the country’s democracy, and they would like to see inclusion and diversity for everyone.
Kevin Vermaak was also happy to cast his vote because he believed that everything must change, especially corruption and the employment of youth.
Shannon Henning said she thinks her vote counts and that it’s better than sitting at home and not doing anything.
She added, “I hope that we see change regardless of what party wins.” While her dad, Chris, has been voting for quite some time, and said, “We are hoping that we see change, and the current state of the country is unacceptable. He encouraged the youth to create their own jobs.”
“Part of voting is acknowledging that people like me couldn’t vote, and we can’t complain about things that are not going right if we don’t actively take part in democracy,” Tshiamo Tati said.
