Millions of people across the country exercised their right to vote in the Local Government Elections on Wednesday. Those we spoke to said it was important to them who would run their municipality for the next five years, as they would decide on critical issues like water, electricity, roads, housing and crime.
We also met people who said they were discouraged about voting because of poor service delivery in their communities.At all the voting stations we visited, voters and party agents praised how the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has been running the elections
.Ward 58, which includes Fordsburg, Fietas, Mayfair and Crosby, relies on water from the strained Commando System, where residents have been facing prolonged water outages with little relief.
The ANC won the ward in 2021, with Rickey Kashore Nair receiving around 49% of the vote. Nair is standing for re-election against 53 other candidates.Some residents told us that water issues in the area were inclining them to vote for a different candidate.
While GroundUp was taking photos on the pavement outside the Crosby Primary School, a woman from the ANC tent accosted and threatened our reporter and accused them of being an opposition agent. The altercation ended after police intervened.
Brixton resident Zine Hlanze said, “Water issues have been going on for way too long … Our roads are also so bad. These are things the government should be getting right”. Ward 87 includes the student hubs of Auckland Park, Melville, Parkview and Greenside. It is a DA stronghold, where Kyle Jacobs received over 71% of the vote.These areas too have been beset with water challenges, which was often a reason residents said they felt motivated to vote.
At Hope Church in Auckland Park, voters came out in numbers.
In Ekurhuleni we visited voting stations at Phulong Secondary School in ward 77 and Nkabinde Primary School in ward 79, Kwathema. At both voting stations EFF, ANC, PA and MK political party representatives were sitting in their gazebos wearing their party regalia.
There were long queues at both polling stations.
Portia Nyakale from ward 79 said her community had no streetlights and crime was high. Nyakale said she wants youth in the area to get access to skills programmes and jobs. Noxolo Skosana, who relies on the R370 SRD grant, said, “I voted today because I want to see a South Africa where all young people are able to find jobs.
”The Bronkhorstspruit water crisis was the subject of many voters’ conversations at voting stations in Ekangala township on Wednesday.Many residents GroundUp spoke to shortly after casting their votes said they had been reluctant to vote. Other people outside voting stations said they would not vote, mainly because there was no drinking water in their taps and water tankers sent by the City of Tshwane were insufficient.
Vusi Mhlongo told GroundUp he had decided not to vote due to the water crisis and a lack of jobs.
“If I vote, my vote will not bring me safe drinking water tomorrow or next week … Life is tough for me and my family. I’m a bricklayer with a certificate, but I have been unemployed for more than two years. I depend on social grants and they are not enough,” he said.
Groundup Staff
GroundUp
Soweto Sunrise News
