South Africa’s 2011 local government elections were a further confirmation of a maturing democracy, President Jacob Zuma said on Wednesday morning after casting his vote at the Ntolweni primary school in his home village of KwaNxamalala in Nkandla, northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Zuma, who has spent the past three months criss-crossing the country on the campaign trail for the ANC, said he was “happy” that “people know what voting is about and what democracy is all about”.
“Voting is an important confirmation of our liberating ourselves … It’s an opportunity for people that allows them to tell councillors that ‘we voted for you and this is what needs to be done in our areas to change our lives’,” said Zuma.
Of his own Ward 14, in the Inkatha Freedom Party-run Nkandla municipality, Zuma said that, as a resident, he hoped the municipal election would “bring water here, electricity to cover everybody in the area and that the roads must be tarred”.
The president was in a jovial mood after arriving at the primary school at about 11am. Zuma was greeted by the sound of ululating women who accompanied him to the entrance of the voting room.
Legendary charm
Unlike deputy president Kgalema Mothlante, who waited in line with the rest of the ordinary punters while voting in Pretoria this morning, Zuma cut to the front of the queue.
Not that the gogos [old women] at the front minded — the president worked his legendary charm to have them simpering bashfully in no time.
Bent old men and women predominated the line of voters that snaked around the courtyard of Ntolweni Primary School — some sang “Zuma-yo, MaPresident” loudly, others stared at the unfolding circus of bodyguards, media scrum and excited supporters with bemusement.
Zuma was accompanied by the Independent Electoral Commission head Brigalia Bam. Bam said she was “delighted” by the high voter registration in KwaZulu-Natal — the second highest in the country — and that the province, so far, had been free of violence.
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