South Africans voted on Wednesday in an election that poses the toughest test for the African National Congress since apartheid ended 15 years ago.
The ANC faces an unprecedented challenge from opposition parties hoping to capitalise on voter frustration over corruption, poverty and rampant crime, and could lose the two-thirds majority that gives it the right to change the Constitution and entrench its power further.
A total of 19Â 726 voting stations opened at 7am on Wednesday for the election of members of Parliament and of the nine provincial legislatures.
Just over 23-million people are registered as potential voters, and the Independent Electoral Commission said this week it expected a massive turnout.
According to Ipsor-Markinor’s latest opinion poll ”around one in every 10 (10%) of likely voters are still undecided”.
Congress of the People presidential candidate Mvume Dandala was among the scores of people who braved the cold to cast their ballot at a voting station at a homestead in Midrand on Wednesday. He was greeted by members of the public also queuing at the voting station.
President Kgalema Motlanthe cast his vote just after 7am at the Colbyn voting station in Pretoria on Wednesday morning.
The president jumped the small queue, but shook voters’ hands as he did so.
Motlanthe appeared relaxed and wore an open-necked shirt and a light coloured suit.
He chatted with voters who applauded after he emerged from the voting booth.
”It wasn’t painful at all, but straightforward,” he told
reporters, encouraging South Africans to come out and vote despite the cold weather.
”We want this to be a participatory democracy,” he said.
Motlanthe hoped the weather would be merciful and that Wednesday’s voting process would be smooth.
”Our prayers are that the weather clears up,” he said.
Motlanthe believed voters would find the casting of their ballot an ”uplifting and reassuring process”.
”You can’t improve any situation by keeping away … It’s like missing the off-ramp and five years is a very long time.”
Motlanthe said that everyone who participated in Wednesday’s elections ”shapes the history and direction of the country”.
He added that no voice was less important than another.
”Even those parties who don’t do well shouldn’t be discouraged,” he said.
Hundreds of Bloemfontein residents braved a cold morning to queue at voting stations. At many stations people were queuing as early as 6am to be at the front of the line. Many are dressed in winter caps, jackets and woollen scarves.
Cope president Mosiuoa Lekota also arrived early at the voting station at the Oranje Meisies Skool in Bloemfontein’s northern suburbs.
Lekota stood chatting to other voters and the media while waiting his turn.
Meanwhile, in Ulundi in KwaZulu-Natal, voters began to gather from about 6am.
By 7am journalists were heading to Nkonjeni voting station where Inkatha Freedom Party leader Dr Mangosuthu Buthelezi was expected to cast his vote.
The voting station is just a stone’s throw away from Buthelezi’s homestead.
After Buthelezi has cast his vote, journalists planned to travel to Nkandla, where African National Congress president Jacob Zuma is expected to cast his vote at 11am.
The poll will be watched by 4Â 900 domestic observers, 355 international observers and 358 diplomats from 61 embassies.
Key to the level of interest has been the challenge by ANC breakaway movement Cope, which was still insisting only hours before voting stations opened that it was going to win a clear majority.
Polls close at 9pm and first results are expected to start trickling in late on Wednesday night. – Reuters, Sapa