Pretoria - There was a serene mood on Wednesday at the ward 55 by-elections when residents flocked to different voting stations to cast their ballots.
After 6pm people, who had just knocked off, were still arriving at six voting stations in the area.
At Laerskool Booysens, where 4 229 people registered to vote, the voting started at 7am and closed at 9pm. By 6pm, at least 500 people had already voted.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) officials, who manned the elections process, said they expected more voters to turn out, because the majority of people were still on their way from work.
An IEC official said by-elections didn’t usually attract attention in the same way as national and local governments elections.
The election was contested by ANC candidate Martins Molobi and Frik van Wyk, of the DA
The ward seat became vacant after the resignation of the DA councillor Piet Fourie, who stepped down two months ago due to ill health.
Party agents for both parties told the Pretoria News that there had not been serious incidents reported inside the voting stations.
There were complaints that the ANC had bused supporters from the nearby informal settlements to voting stations, where they were not registered. André du Plesis, a voter at Booysens, said he spotted a vehicle with a City of Tshwane sticker at Westerlig Laerskool voting station in Danville.
He said the vehicle was driven by people wearing ANC T-shirts.
One of the vehicle’s occupants made an announcement on a loudhailer for people to go out in numbers and vote, he said.
Outside Hoër Tegniese Skool Pretoria-Tuine station, Cilliers Brink said there had been disputes because of people who wanted to enter stations wearing their party T-shirts.
The station has 1 800 registered voters, but by 7pm only 660 had voted.
“We noted that our opposition had bused in people who are not registered here.
“We are happy that the IEC officials turned them down and refused that they vote,” said Brink.
Patrick Swart, from Gomora informal settlement. said he was transported in the bus organised by the ANC officials.
He said there had been two buses and four taxis driving around with people the whole day.
DA party agent Arnold van Niekerk said matters at the station had been running smoothly.
IEC spokesman Kate Bapela said counting started as soon as the voting stations closed at 9pm. The results will be announced in the afternoon after being audited.
She said the voter turnout for the ward in the 2011 municipal elections was 63.19 percent.
Pretoria News