Cape Town – The creation of more jobs was the main concern of voters in the rural areas of the Little Karoo when they cast their ballots on Wednesday.
Voters from the small farming settlements and communities scattered along Route 62, among the poorest in the Western Cape, were hoping their vote would ensure a better life for their children, the SABC reported.
There was a slow start to voting in the farming community of Hoeko, outside Ladismith. With 200 other labourers also affected, a man, who had worked on a farm for 20 years, was concerned over his uncertain future after a farmer had sold his property.
In a nearby farming community, Zoar residents were upbeat as they filed into the voting station, reiterating the theme about job creation, especially for the youth.
While the faces of political leaders hang high on street lamps, residents told EWN on Tuesday that poverty was at its highest yet.
Susana Betoos, who has lived in Zoar for more than 45 years, said she was one of nearly 5 000 people living in the area, most of whom are jobless and destitute.
In Ladismith, Independent Electoral Commission officials reported a steady turnout, while in Van Wyksdorp residents of the informal settlement were motivated to use their vote, especially after living in shacks for 15 years and sharing a single toilet between 40 people.
They were not going to let go of the tiniest strand of hope that things would change for them.