Durban — Residents were out in numbers on Wednesday to cast their vote at the Glenwood Preparatory School, saying that they want to contribute to a great South Africa.
Leon Galelekile, a matriculant who is a first-time voter, said he was nervous and excited about voting.
“I feel like I am doing something important,” he said.
His brother, Terence Galelekile, who was also standing in the long line, said he wanted to see what the next political party would do for the country. The siblings were at the voting station before 9am.
Andre Potgieter who said he was at the polling booth at 6.30am said he wanted to be the first in the line but was number 12.
Potgieter said he did not think there would be surprises in the results after the elections and things would be the same.
“I think we will all be surprised if things turned out differently,” said Potgieter.
Another resident Vani Chinnawpa said this was important for anyone who wanted to see change and that is why she is voting.
“I am hoping that everything is going to change in all aspects, from education, job opportunities and living standards,” she said.
Meanwhile, Department of Correctional Services (DCS) Minister Ronald Lamola praised the country’s correctional services for ensuring prisoners were able to vote in a safe and controlled setting.
Speaking following a visit to various correctional centres on Wednesday, Lamola said 17 129 inmates registered to vote.
According to the department, the Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria, in which convicted rapist and murderer Thabo Bester remains behind bars, recorded the highest number of registered inmate voters, sitting at 2 908.
“We have created a conducive environment to enable inmates to vote in a safe and controlled setting. I am impressed to see that the voting processes are going well, and I commend IEC officials as well as DCS officials who are on duty,” he said.
The DCS’s Deputy Minister, Phathekile Holomisa was at Mthatha Correctional Facility in the Eastern Cape, while DSC national commissioner, Makgothi Thobakgale, was deployed to KwaZulu-Natal.
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