Mixed reactions in Gauteng: Some residents opt out of voting, others remain hopeful for change
Simon Majadibodu
Gauteng residents have voiced grievances about the lack of job opportunities, inadequate infrastructure, and poor service delivery as the main reasons for not participating in the national and provincial elections.
This comes after extensive rallies held by political parties over the weekend in their efforts to garner votes for the national and provincial elections.
Today, more than one million people across the country flocked to voting stations to take part in special votes ahead of the general elections taking place on Wednesday, 29 May.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said around 1,668,076 South Africans have been approved for special votes.
Of these, 624,593 voters will be visited by trained election officers at their homes or places of confinement.
Meanwhile, political parties have been conducting election campaigns, door-to-door outreach, and campaign trails throughout the country in a bid to garner votes. However, some residents in Gauteng have expressed their intention not to cast their votes, citing a lack of motivation to do so.
Nyiko Komana, 40, an unemployed resident from Kagiso in Krugersdorp, said she will not vote because political parties make huge promises during election seasons but fail to fulfil them afterwards.
"I won't even waste my vote because now that they’re seeking votes, they visit our homes and feed us lies. After the elections, they disappear and forget about us," she told IOL News.
Komana acknowledged some improvements, such as the government providing free opportunities for further studies through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). However, she added, "It often fails students by delaying their allowances, leading to increased suffering. If I witness some transformations after this election period, I will consider voting in the next elections, but for now, I won’t vote."
Letele Sekautu, 22, from Ferndale, Randburg, cited the increasing unemployment rate and inadequate service delivery in the province as the primary reasons for not registering to vote.
"I don’t see any changes because political leaders are going around making the same promises each and every election season. There are so many young people who possess different qualifications yet remain unemployed and the poor services across all sectors, particularly in clinics, is horrible."
Meanwhile, Temosho Makua, 25, an unemployed graduate from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), who holds an Advanced Diploma in Project Management from Philip Nel Park in Pretoria, expressed his intention to vote.
“Each party has presented a compelling vision for our future, however, I am confident to say that I am going to vote for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), because of their commitment to education and equality,” he said.
Makua claimed that the leadership approach of the party gives a fresh perspective and a new voice to the political sphere.
Ruimsig resident, Simon Modiya, 52, said that he will vote for the African National Congress (ANC), claiming that it is the one that ended the apartheid regime in the country.
“Back in the years, our parents were under the strict rules of the apartheid era, which includes having to carry ID books, dubbed Dom Pass, wherever they go. Now there’s no such because of the ANC, hence I will vote for it.”
IOL Politics