By Anna Cox
A group of about 300 protesters gathered at River Park in Alexandra before dawn this morning. They are all residents of a nearby squatter camp, and embarked on a protest against a lack of housing.
The toyi-toying crowd stood on an embankment on London Road, chanting "No house, no vote".
Community leader Thabo Modisan said people were not happy about the election and refused to vote until they got houses.
"We have been waiting since 1994 and we are still living in shacks. We were promised basic services and have not received them, and that is why we are boycotting the election," he said.
Police, while stationed a distance away, were observing and ensuring that the peaceful protest did not get out of hand.
The Johannesburg College of Education's Alexandra campus, one of the polling stations, has not opened on time.