Voting got off to a good start despite a few problems at some voting stations, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said on Wednesday.
”We got off to a very good start; even the weather cleared up over most of the country, making it possible for people to cast their votes,” chief electoral officer Pansy Tlakula said at the IEC’s operation centre in Pretoria.
By 9am, 99% of voting stations were open. In some areas, voters queued from 4am to cast their votes.
Tlakula said heavy rains overnight in some areas had damaged voting stations, roads and bridges.
In the Free State, a bridge to a community in Berlin was washed away. A bridge at Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga was also damaged because of rain.
In Putfontein, on the East Rand, and Mabopane, north of Pretoria, some voting stations could not open because they were water-logged. However, these problems had been dealt with and voting was progressing normally in these areas by 11am, Tlakula said.
She said a group of people was arrested in Thabazimbi, Limpopo, on Tuesday night after holding the electoral officer hostage over fears he was biased towards a particular party.
”The [South African Police Service] sorted that out quickly. They arrested those people and they will appear in court tomorrow [Thursday],” Tlakula said.
The IEC had received unconfirmed reports of a planned march in Kuruman and Umsobomvu in the Northern Cape. Police were keeping a close eye on that, she said.
Western Cape
In the Western Cape — plagued by electricity outages since last week — voting stations and officers had been issued with battery-operated lights and generators.
Voting continued in Cape Town even as clouds darkened the sky over the Atlantic seaboard amid sporadic power failures at several polling stations. The power went out in Clifton, Camps Bay and Llandudno.
”What else is new?” Sandi Shaw said of the darkness settling over the Clifton polling station where she presided. Power in the area was cut at 10.30am and still not back on by noon.
Voting did not seem to be hampered, she said, but added that problems could arise when the vote count started after darkness fell and polling stations closed at 7pm.
Khutsong
Even in Khutsong on the far West Rand, where residents had called for a boycott of the elections, voting was progressing well.
”Voters are trickling in, but we’ve had no problems so far,” Tlakula said.
Answering a question about groups congregated outside voting stations in Khutsong, Tlakula said this was not a crime, as long as they did not intimidate prospective voters.
”I’m sure the police will closely watch these groups, in case they try to intimidate voters or if their presence constitutes intimidation.”
However, later reports said police used rubber bullets to disperse youths in Khutsong and extinguished burning tyres with a water cannon. The youths had been throwing stones at a polling station and shouting threats at IEC officials. An unconfirmed number of people were arrested.
The incident took place outside a polling station in the grounds of a partly charred ruin of a building called Gugulethu Centre. It was set alight last year in protests against the incorporation of the Merafong municipality into North West from Gauteng.
North West
In the other provinces, voting was progressing well, with only a few voting stations in KwaZulu-Natal opening late because of the rainy weather.
Voting was going well in the North West province, political parties said, adding that it was somewhat slower in some areas due to rain.
The Democratic Alliance and Freedom Front Plus said voting had been affected in the Taung area where flooding had cut off several voting stations — not only from voters but also from efforts to supply ballots and ballot boxes.
South African Air Force helicopters were used in some instances to get the vital documents to voting points, FF+ provincial leader Pieter Groenewald said. Speaking from Potchefstroom, he said voting was proceeding apace, with no long queues in evidence.
This was in contrast to Stilfontein, where a line had formed by 6.15am at the voting station where he had cast his ballot. In Klerksdorp, long queues were also in evidence, the FF+ leader said.
Problems identified included presiding officers perhaps not as familiar with the rules as they ought to be, Groenewald said. In some instances, party agents and activists breaking the rules were not admonished and in some cases partisans following the rules fell foul of over-zealous officials.
The DA’s Juanita Terblanche agreed with Groenewald, saying problems were being addressed as they were encountered. She said voting in the Taung area had been affected by conditions encountered there.
Provincial Premier Edna Molewa earlier cast her vote at Brits.
Free State
Free State rural areas were experiencing a steady flow of voters at most polling stations by mid-morning, despite various logistical hiccups, IEC officials said.
In Petrusburg, there were queues at all voting stations just before noon.
Teba Reachable, the municipal elections officer for the Letsemeng municipal area (Koffiefontein) in the southern Free State, said all his stations were open with only minor ”hiccups” through the morning. ”At Oppermans Gronde the turn-up was, however, poor.”
In the Mohokare municipal area in Zastron, the local IEC official said he was almost ”80%” up and running. Logistical problems included voting tents not arriving on time and delivery of the ”wrong ward ballot papers” at stations.
Municipal elections officer William Mankayi was arranging a meeting of the local political liaison committee to discuss the matter and find a solution.
”They must take a decision on how they want the matter handled. In the meantime, voting is going on.”
Long queues at voting stations were also reported form Welkom.
Delta Kganyago, municipal elections officer in Maluti-a-Phofung, said things were under control everywhere, even in rural areas.
Kganyago said the municipality and the Free State roads department had repaired some local roads damaged by heavy rain earlier this week. ”No problems there now,” she said. — Sapa