Low turnout worries analysts; a few incidents mar otherwise smooth elections

ANC provincial chairperson and Premier Sihle Zikalala casts his vote in Ndwedwe.

ANC provincial chairperson and Premier Sihle Zikalala casts his vote in Ndwedwe.

Published Nov 2, 2021

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DURBAN - WHILE political parties expressed their confidence about winning the elections, analysts were concerned with the low voter turnout at Monday’s local government elections.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), at media briefing on Monday night, remained tight-lipped on the low voter turnout in this year’s 6th local government elections.

Out of the 26.2 million voters registered for the municipal polls, only 8 million people had cast their votes by 5pm at all 23 148 voting stations, according to IEC commissioner Nomsa Masuku.

Figures released by the IEC by 1pm on Monday indicated that Limpopo had a slightly bigger voter turnout with 15% of people coming out to vote followed by the Free State at 14%.

Gauteng at 14.3% while the Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape and KZN saw roughly 13 percent of voters at the voting stations.

Results in the meantime started trickling through at midnight and are expected to gain momentum throughout on Tuesday.

South Africans are expected to get a clear picture of which political parties have made major inroads in this year’s elections as parties fight for the heart and soul of all major metros.

Political parties will then have 48 hours until Wednesday to lodge any objections or complaints. Serious complaints such as incidents where voters were intimidated and were unable to vote, major anomalies that are detected between ballot papers and actual votes will be investigated by the IEC.”

Political analysts weighed in on the low voter turnout. Professor Sipho Seepe said the downside was that many people felt let down that 27 years down the line, the apartheid architecture remained intact.

“The black condition is still marked by poverty, unemployment, landlessness and hopelessness. Their vote has not translated to better things for all. The lesson to be derived from this is that the elections will not deliver any liberation from poverty. The conditions of inequality and poverty are being entrenched,” said Seepe.

Professor Dirk Kotze said the voter turnout looked very concerning and stressed that anything less than 45% would be very problematic.

Professor Tumi Senokoane said: “My observation is that many people are not registered. However, there is a high turnout of the white population. Young people are also out to vote. The citizens have mixed feelings of both disappointment and hope.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa, accompanied by First Lady of the Republic, Dr Tshepo Motsepe, casts his vote for the 2021 Local Government Elections at Hitekani Primary School in Chiawelo, Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa. 01/11/2021. Siyabulela Duda

Earlier, in Ndwedwe, ANC provincial chairperson Sihle Zikalala said he appreciated those who had come out to vote.

“It is important for all citizens to take this opportunity to express their views on who should govern them. It is equally important for all people to vote because that’s where you get an opportunity to elect the people you want in government.”

Zikalala also condemned those who attempted to cause chaos and prevent others from voting.

EFF secretary-general Marshal Dlamini said he was confident his party would be victorious. He said all parties that wished to go into coalition with the EFF should start reading their manifesto as it would be the only document determining the future of the coalitions in all municipalities.

DA eThekwini caucus leader Nicole Graham said there were problems associated with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) officials, but she was convinced that her party had performed well in the elections.

African People’s Convention president Themba Godi said the voting process was smooth. However, there were incidents where some challenges were experienced in some of the wards in uPhongolo, where some ballot boxes were tampered with.

“The IEC officials do not respect the choices of the voters. In Adam’s area, south of Durban, the APC is being very competitive and we rate our chances highly.”

IFP eThekwini chief whip Mdu Nkosi said he was concerned with the rigging of votes in some wards.

“We are not happy at all. In some wards including wards 32, 38, 39 and 102, we experienced serious problems where our candidates did not appear on the voters’ roll. This will negatively impact us and we hope this criminality will be dealt with accordingly.”

ActionSA eThekwini spokesperson Busisiwe Gumede said the Amaoti voting station had a high voter turnout and there were two boxes that arrived opened.

“Clearly, there is an intention to try to steal the elections. The IEC presiding officer at this station is an EPWP worker who has been threatened with her job. It is grossly unfair and corrupt at this point, seeing as she is an IEC official entrusted with ensuring there are free and fair elections.”

“At Hillcrest Primary School, where our mayoral candidate Dr Makhosi Khoza voted, there was a high voter turnout, social distancing observed and the lines moved swiftly,” said Gumede.

Casting his vote in Nkandla on Monday afternoon, former president Jacob Zuma said no supporter of his could shun the ANC at the polls, adding he also voted for the ruling party.

Zuma, who is out on medical parole, arrived at Ntolwane Primary School in Nkandla just before midday, sparking excitement among the legion of ANC supporters who were camped outside the school.

Zuma, under the eye of his bodyguards and support staff, then went to the gates of the school to mingle with ANC supporters. Some hugged him while others shook hands.

He later spoke to the media, saying he was happy he voted and it was no secret he had voted for the ANC.

“No one has told me not to vote for the ANC, no one can tell me that. My supporters who are ANC (members) will vote for the ANC… there was some doubt and I made a clarion call that all men and women should go to vote because the ANC will always be around; it will rule until the (son of a) man (presumably Jesus) who left comes back,” Zuma said.

The founder of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and president emeritus, Inkosi Mangosuthu Buthelezi, voted at Mahlabathini in Ulundi and said he saw no reason for people not to vote during the ongoing local government elections. This comes as some in the country had advocated for a vote boycott, saying the process was not worth it.

“I don’t see any reason for people not to vote because in the last local government elections we did very well and I think that, from my point of view, Mr (Velenkosini) Hlabisa (the reigning president of the IFP) and all the other leaders including myself, we have done everything that should have been done as far as campaigning is concerned.”

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa and his wife, Dr Tshepo Motsepe, had cast their votes at Hitekani Primary School in Chiawelo where the ruling party’s leader grew up.

“As the ANC, we are looking forward to an overwhelming victory here in Johannesburg and all metros and municipalities in Gauteng and all over the country. This has been an enriching process of interfacing and interacting with our people, getting to know their aspirations, their hopes and disappointments.”

Ramaphosa said the ANC had been able to go out to listen to the people.

“This is one election where we are clearly saying to our people we are going to do better. We have realised that we have not always met the aspirations of our people. We will do better,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the voting process Masuku conceded that although voting ran smoothly in some parts of the country, there were glitches that were of great concern to the IEC.

It emerged that at some stations, voters had registered but could not find their names on the voters roll.

The IEC had requested electoral officers to check the manual roll so that people could vote.

Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo had also earlier insisted that while there were a few operational glitches with some of the 29 000 Voter Management Devices (VMDs) distributed at voting stations, most worked well.

Asked if the malfunctioning of VMDs were responsible for the delays at voting stations, IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini said: “It’s not the VMD failure and we can put it before everyone scientifically to scrutinise that. Election business process has just only touched registration because of moving from bar code scanners and now we have moved to the point where we can locate you and put you where you live.

“At this point, it’s not a question of the VMD failure,” he said.

Additional reporting by Ntombi Nkosi and Noni Mokati

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