Daily Sun (May 8 2014) - FOR MILLIONS of citizens it was a day of joy, a celebration of democracy that only happens once every five years. But many others, like the people of Timane Village, saw no reason to celebrate.
TWENTY YEARS LATER, THEY SAID, AND NOTHING HAD CHANGED.
Mosotho Moepya, chief executive officer of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), yesterday said the day went well despite several incidents that negatively affected smooth voting.
He said 2 449 of the 22 263 voting stations opened late because voting personnel and security staff arrived late, voting materials were delivered late or buildings designated as polling stations were locked.
By the time of going to print not a single vote had been cast in Timane Village, near Dutywa in the Eastern Cape. Residents said this was their way of protesting against the lack of service delivery in their area. Two years ago they also requested to be moved from ward 4 to ward 1 but this had not happened.
Villager Nosimo Bongoza (55) said: "There are 425 villagers and none of us will vote. We don't get services and we want to be in ward 1."
The voting station at Nadi in the Umshwathi Municipality, New Hanover, KZN was closed for hours after roads were blocked with branches and rocks.
Residents also stood at the voting station's entrance singing struggle songs and swearing at those who wanted to vote.
"We are tired of being told to vote while we are struggling. Our lives have not changed since the first democratic elections in 1994," said Nontobeko Khanyise.
The station was only opened when cops arrived. Colonel Jay Naicker said no one was arrested and police were sent to protect voters.
A scanner problem at Wonderkop, Marikana, North West delayed voting for an hour as long queues started forming at about 5am amid a heavy police presence.
At nearby Freedom Park, a voting station opened late and the residents started shouting and insulting IEC officials.
In Bloemhof, North West residents said they were intimidated.
A man who didn't want to be identified told Daily Sun: "I want to vote but those people said they were going to cut off our fingers if they found ink from the polling station on our fingers."
Bekkersdal, west of Joburg, the scene of extended protests during the last few months, was quiet yesterday and most residents appeared to be voting.
Other areas where voting did not go smoothly included:
- Maruleng, Limpopo
- Gugulethu, Springs, Gauteng
- Botshabelo, Free State
- Barcelona, Khayelitsha, Cape Town
- Phillipi, Cape Town
- eNgcobo, Eastern Cape.
Voters went to the polls to vote for the national and provincial government of South Africa's nine provinces.
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