Pretoria – As South Africans participate in the hotly contested local government elections today, President Cyril Ramaphosa has appealed to every registered voter to go out and make their mark on the ballot paper.
“I call on each and every South African who is registered to vote to go out and vote for the candidate and the party of your choice. Your vote counts. Every single vote counts. With your vote, you are building a better South Africa,” said Ramaphosa.
“A South Africa with strong, well-run and effective municipalities that can improve the lives of every citizen.”
Ramaphosa emphasised that local government elections are about “issues that matter most to all of us”, such as housing, electricity, water, sanitation and decent roads in communities.
“We all want to get better services. We all want to have decent, sustainable work. We all want to see our businesses grow and for our communities to thrive. This can only happen if local government is strong,” he said.
“With your vote, you are exercising your constitutional responsibility as a citizen to build our democracy. Remember to visit the voting station in the ward where you are registered and to take your ID with you.”
Voting stations in wards across South Africa were on Monday scheduled to open from 7am to 9pm.
Ramaphosa also appealed to South Africans to “make a difference” by visiting one of the hundreds of Covid-19 vaccination stations that will be in operation at voting stations around the country.
“So, I ask you to go out and vote tomorrow and let’s build South Africa together.”
IOL