Enshrined by the sacrifices of others, no smaller act of participation has greater consequences.
For those wanting to change addresses or register for the first time, the deadline to do so has passed. Final preparations will now begin for the big showdown at the polls where ward councillor positions and most importantly, the City’s mayor, will be decided.
Foot traffic was minimal at many voting stations as the online portal may have provided sufficient encouragement to stay home. That added weight on the system could be attributed to the erratic performance of the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) processing portal. Lengthy delays on both Saturday and Sunday had IEC volunteers improvising by writing down the details manually then loading them onto the system at a later stage.
While often searching for stimuli to pass the quieter hours, voting station officials and volunteers were all smiles. Eager to be a part of the nation’s storied history at the polls, they have been training since June and needed to undergo rigorous testing on the minutiae of electoral procedure. With the call to register done and dusted, some voters shared their reasons for believing South Africa’s November 1 date with destiny is so important:
Nghamula Mathukane: “It is the democratic right of each and every human being. Considering the path we have taken from being disenfranchised to where we are now, we can not afford not to vote. It is every South African’s responsibility to have their say.”
Jose and Annabela Duarte: “We must look what is happening to the country. We have gone so far but lost so much. We all have a responsibility to vote and the youth should get out and vote for their future.”
Pulane Nkjane: “We need service delivery. We must vote for someone who can get the job done. Maybe it is time to give someone else a chance.”
Maria Xelanto: “The young generations must vote so that they can elect someone who can create jobs and opportunities for a better future.”
