Johannesburg - Black scorch marks stained the road with rocks and tree branches littering the pavements following protest action over the last few days.
However this morning Steelpark near Vereeniging was calm and quiet as voters slowly made their way to the Isizwe Setjhaba Secondary School to make their mark.
The voting station opened on time but only saw a handful of voters coming in at a time by late Wednesday morning. There were no long queues and the voting process was fast.
Resident Charlotte Makhetha, 51, said that she was voting so that she can have a voice. “We've been protesting but it's calm now because we need to be reasonable and allow for voting.
“They (the municipality) needs to work and strategize to improve the area,” she said.
The Star drove through several large potholes while making it's way to the voting station which Makhetha said was one of the main issues. “The potholes in the streets are really bad, we can't live in suburbs that go without water for six days.
“We're even thinking of planting trees in the potholes, maybe that will get their attention,” Makhetha said jokingly
“We want a better run municipality and this is what drives me to vote,” she added.
Couple Skatie and Harry Bothma who have been living in Steelpark for 20 years said they were voting because they were looking for “a far better life”.
“We need better roads and electricity, it's off many times and we get fed up,” Skatie said.
Harry added that life and service delivery hadn't improved since 1994. “We've just seen it get worse and worse.”
But not all residents were bleak about the situation.
Bennet Matela, 61, said there had been some positive changes although he was voting for change. “The underprivileged have received housing and electricity but there's room for improvement.”
He said what was really needed in Steelpark was communication. “If a pipe bursts or something happens it's okay as long as there's communication.”
Matela added that it was important to vote because people need to tell government “if I am or if I'm not satisfied about issues”.
@Lanc_02
The Star