Former president Thabo Mbeki will cast his ballot in Parktown, Johannesburg, on Wednesday, his spokesperson said. Mukoni Ratshitanga said Mbeki and his wife, Zanele, would vote at the Holy Family College on Oxford Road at 9am.
The former president had largely been absent from the African National Congress’s (ANC) election campaign while his predecessor, Nelson Mandela, had endorsed the party campaign through his attendance at two key rallies, one in the Eastern Cape, the other in Gauteng.
Mandela would cast his ballot for the fourth time at the Killarney Country Club, Houghton Estate.
ANC president Jacob Zuma would vote at the Ntolweni Primary School, Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal. His deputy, President Kgalema Motlanthe, would vote at Bryntirion Estate in Waterkloof, Pretoria.
DA leader Helen Zille would vote at St Paul’s Church, Rondebosch, Cape Town; Congress of the People presidential candidate Mvume Dandala in Midrand; African Christian Democratic Party leader Kenneth Meshoe at Parkdene Primary School in Boksburg, Johannesburg; and Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille at Pinelands Town Hall, Cape Town.
Congress of the People (Cope) president Mosiuoa Lekota would vote at Oranje Meisieskool in Bloemfontein, Free State, while his first and second deputies, Mbhazima Shilowa and Lynda Odendaal, would vote in Constantiakloof and Morningside respectively.
Pan Africanist Congress president Letlapa Mphahlele would vote in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape and African People’s Convention leader Themba Godi at Dwarsloop Civic Centre in Mpumalanga.
Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder would vote in Potchefstroom in the North West and United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa in Arcadia, Pretoria.
The executive mayor of Merafong, Desmond Van Rooyen, will vote in Khutsong, his spokesperson said on Tuesday.
”The mayor will vote in the fourth democratic elections tomorrow [Wednesday] morning at 8am in ward 9 close to his family property destroyed in the Khutsong violence,” said Seabo Gaeganelwe. The mayor urged all Merafong residents to exercise their democratic right.
Van Rooyen’s property was burnt down after the local government election in 2006 when irate residents turned on their councillor, forcing him to flee the area.
Gaeganelwe said as a former freedom fighter Van Rooyen valued voting and would even risk his life to cast his vote.
”This might be his last vote as executive mayor of Merafong.”
Residents in Merafong boycotted the local government election in March 2006 in protest against the inclusion of Merafong into the North West from Gauteng.
They barricaded streets, burnt buildings and brought schooling to a halt.
The protests led to government announcing last year that it would reverse its 2005 decision.
President Kgalema Motlanthe has recently proclaimed a law amendment under which Merafong municipality would be reincorporated into Gauteng.
In Rustenburg, executive mayor Mathew Wolmarans would cast his vote in Tlhabane. His spokesperson Butler Matlapeng said Wolmarans would vote at Kgwadikgwadi Primary school at 7.30am. His counterpart in Moses Kotane municipality, Peter Molelekeng, was expected to vote in Mogwase Unit 5, at the Philadelphia Church at 7am, said his spokesperson, Beauty Makganye. — Sapa