Over 51 000 home visits will be conducted by Electoral Commission (IEC) officials in the Western Cape for the two days of special votes.
The IEC says it’s received nearly 136 000 special vote applications in the province. The elderly, infirm, or those who will not be able to vote on Wednesday have begun casting their ballots.
Senior citizens at iKhaya Loxolo old age home in Gugulethu … making their mark. Some say they are exercising their democratic right for a change in the country and have urged every South African to do the same.
Officials have been diligent in ensuring a smooth process.
Voter Thembisa Maninjwa says, “We need to vote and everyone needs to vote so that that we can win the votes in the party that we voted for and everything will go accordingly. If we don’t vote we won’t be known in other places. voting is important.”
Voter Sipho Mvalo “I want to see more changes than the changes that we have now so that they can look after us all.”
IEC officials at the Pinelands High School voting station say they have about 90 special vote stations and over 100 home visits scheduled for the day.
Former deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Fatima Chohan says, “On Wednesday, I’m a volunteer taking older people to the voting stations so that’s why we registered for a special vote my daughter and myself. They found our names on the voters’ rolls very easily. We were offered the three ballot papers very efficiently and because it was a special day there was not too much in terms of queue time.”
DA Federal Chairperson Helen Zille, also made use of the special vote as she will not be able to vote here on Wednesday.
“Many people have said it’s the most important election since 1994, and I would agree with that. I think it’s going to be the first time that the ANC falls under 50% and it will never get above 50% again. this is a proportional representation system and they are likely to keep on falling. it’s been the pattern of liberation movements throughout the whole of Africa but I was joking when I told you I wasn’t going to tell you who I’m voting for. Obviously, I voted for the DA on all three ballots.”
She has urged every registered voter to come out and cast their vote.
“We would love as the DA to get 51% nationally, obviously we would love that and it would be brilliant for South Africa if that were to happen, you do your polling every day and you know what your reality is. I’m satisfied we will go forward and I’m really hoping the multi-party charter will get over the line, but in the western cape, I’m confident the da will hold an overall majority.”
Special voting will continue on Tuesday.
