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LGE 2021 | Political leaders vote across South Africa

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Political leaders interacted with voters and cast their votes across the country on Monday.

Leaders from different parties urged South Africans to vote and expressed their perception of the voting processes across the country.

UDM leader not happy with the party agents

United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader General Bantu Holomisa says he is not happy with the party agents at Umtata in the Eastern Cape.

Holomisa is amongst the people who cast their vote in the Umtata City Hall.

Voting polls opened at 07:00 in the morning, with thousands of voters expected to cast their vote at the metro’s 275 voting stations.

He says he is hopeful the results will show that the time for one-party dominance is over.

We must make sure that we come up with rules and regulations to regulate coalition governments post-elections. They are here to stay whether one likes it or not. We are fed up with party dominance. This multi-party democracy was designed to promote checks and balances and the people must go out and vote for the party of their choice.”

ACDP says ANC will definitely lose their power

The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) says they are confident that the African National Congress (ANC) will be voted out of power in the City of Ekurhuleni.

In recent months, this hotly contested municipality has witnessed a string of service delivery protests.

Ekurhuleni has the second-highest number of registered voters in Gauteng with more than 1.5 million people on the voters roll this year.

ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe was speaking at the Sunward Park Sport and Recreation Centre, where he cast his ballot.

“The ANC will definitely lose their power in Ekurhuleni and if they win again that will be a shocker. If ANC does win in this area, we will say these are some of the effects of witchcraft. Because for them, before the elections, they came out with their sangomas, knowing many people are scared of these people. Because many people know these sangomas can threaten you and threaten your life. And also, bad luck that many black people are scared of. They are aware that there is a strong possibility of them losing Ekurhuleni.”

Meshoe votes in the East Rand:

‘Elections will not be free and fair for all parties contesting’

The Congress of the People (COPE) says they don’t believe that this year’s local government elections will be free and fair for all parties contesting.

COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota says he believes the campaigns of smaller parties have been sabotaged by the governing party, the ANC.

Lekota was speaking in Midrand, north of Johannesburg this morning, where he cast his vote at the Montecello Country Estate.

“At this moment we are very sore because you know the day before yesterday, we were holding our closing rally in Chiawelo and then the police suddenly came there to tell us that our meeting is illegal because the campaigning has closed down. I even wondered whether because the president was born in Chiawelo and grew up there maybe he was mobilising his community to make sure that we don’t have our meeting. Now when things like that happen for people to believe that this is a free and fair election.”

Lekota casts vote in Midrand: 

ANC’s Ramaphosa happy with interest shown by voters 

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his appreciation for the level of interest shown by voters who came to cast their votes at the Hitekani Primary School in Chiawelo, Soweto.

Ramaphosa has urged all would-be councilors to serve their communities with integrity

 

DA’s Steenhuisen casts vote in KZN

DA leader John Steenhuisen has just cast his ballot in his hometown at the Northwood Boys High school in Durban North.

Steenhuisen says the DA had not set up a Mayoral candidate for the Ethekwini Municipality as it wanted to infiltrate the area, ward by ward.

He also responded to the allegations of vote-rigging by a presiding officer in Ward 93 at Umbumbulu in the eThekwini Municipality.

“I think it’s largely gone smoothly. Of course, like every election, there are hiccups along the way. I think our party agents and the members on the liaison committees are dealing with the particular matters and will get to the bottom of them. It’s not that difficult to work out where the fraud has taken place there and it will be very easy to see in terms of what the results look like there. But if anyone has been involved in electoral fraud wherever they’re from they need to be dealt with severely,” says Steenhuisen.

Steenhuisen encourages people to vote: 

EFF leader casts vote in Seshego

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema and his wife Mantwa cast their vote at Mponagele Primary School in Seshego, Limpopo.

Supporters were ordered to stop singing election campaign songs inside the premises of the voting station. Malema has expressed confidence that the EFF will clinch victory in most municipalities across the country.

“We think that South Africans have heard the message of the EFF and they have received it very well and we can only hope for the best. It is now in the hands of the South Africans. The youth of South Africa must come out in their numbers because this has got to do with them. This is about the future it is about investing in the infrastructure and service delivery in our localities, I am happy with the turnout of old people, and we need the youth to come out in their numbers.”

ActionSA’s Mashaba happy over party logo visibility

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba says he is happy that his party logo is easy to find on the ballot papers. Mashaba, who is running for mayor of the City of Johannesburg, cast his vote in Sandton Johannesburg.

Mashaba says the party hopes to unseat the ANC and hopes that South Africans will use the constitutional rights to remove what he refers to the ANC as a “criminal organisation” that has abused people for too long.

Mashaba casts his 2021 local government elections vote:

GOOD has a plan on how to fix the country: de Lille

Good Parry leader Patricia de Lille cast her vote at the Pinelands Primary School in Cape Town.

De Lille says she is happy to cast her vote despite the rainy weather, adding that the party stands for all the good people of South Africa who have a plan on how to fix the country.

She is also hoping to win the majority of votes in Cape Town, where she was once Mayor.

De Lille says she is positive that the party will see some growth:

FF Plus prospects looking good

Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) leader Pieter Groenewald cast his vote at Stilfontein in the North West. Groenewald says he is happy with the people who are coming to vote, adding that there seems to be a lot of order at the voting station.

He says the prospects for his party in the North West are looking very good, adding that they could possibly double their support:

Groenewald casts his vote:

Land, dignity and hope for Africans: PAC

Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) leader Mzwanele Nyontsho cast his vote at the Khanyisa Primary School in the Eastern Cape.

Nyontsho says a vote for the PAC means land, dignity and hope for the African people. He also admits that these are the first elections where the party is working together and is united.

Nyontsho speaks to the SABC after casting his vote:

 

 

 

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