Voting got off to an icy and slow start at polling booths in parts of Durban on Wednesday, particularly in the suburbs of Chatsworth and Shallcross where the coveted Indian vote lies.
With cloudy patches across the sky, a Shallcross booth was virtually empty by 7am with officials milling around waiting patiently for voters.
Stationed at the Shallcross Community Hall, officials presumed voters were still fast asleep and taking advantage of the day-off from work.
First in the line was a petite and warmly clad woman.
Savatri Naidoo lives not far from the polling station, but nevertheless got up at 4am. Braving the cold, she walked there at 5.30am.
"I wanted to be the first in line, but I never thought I'd be the only one in the line," she said. "Right now, I'm having trouble talking because I'm frozen."
She said she wanted to be first so that she could go home early.
There were fewer than ten people in the queue. -
Sapa