Limpopo - With just nine days to go until South Africans take to the polls, women in Limpopo say they are confident females will emerge the biggest victors on the day.
Of the total number of candidates running for office during the local government elections in Limpopo, 43% are women, making it the province with the highest number of female contenders.
Rural and urban women in and around Polokwane have told Independent Media that the representation should have been higher to reflect the gender demographics in the province.
However, they celebrated the 43% with the hope that the women who emerged successful would deliver the services they needed to lead better lives.
“We are happy women are leading, because we have seen men in power and they’ve failed to help us. Women are the ones aware of the most critical needs in society and in their homes. It only makes sense that we should be led by women,” said a 46-year-old woman, who only wanted to be known as Francinah, in Ga-Matlala.
However for some it boiled down to trust and reliability.
Teresia Molokomme said she found it easier to relate to female councillors. She also admitted there was little knowledge about the high number of women contesting the elections, but now that she knew, she felt a bit more comfortable about the future.
“Such factors affect us. What we know is that women always make a plan, whether in their homes to make sure the children are fed, or in society where they are mothers to everyone,” she said.
The ANC, which still holds popular support among voters in the province, has re-appointed current mayor Thembisile Nkadimeng to contest for the capital city, Polokwane.
She is one of five female mayoral candidates in the province which has 25 municipalities in 5 districts.
The gender demographics in Limpopo are similar to other provinces.
Nationally, 60% of candidates are male, while the PR lists almost achieved gender parity with a ratio of 52 men to 48 women.
The province with the lowest percentage of women candidates is KwaZulu-Natal, with 34%
@ThetoThakane
Elections Bureau