Special voting off to slow start for today’s two by-elections in PE
SPECIAL voting went off smoothly yesterday for the two by-elections to be held in Port Elizabeth today.
The voting stations in wards 4 and 14 will be open from 7am to 9pm.
The Ward 4 by-election, which includes Walmer township, comes after councillor candidate Nceba Dywili was gunned down in Zwide a week before the local government elections. He received 81.5% of the votes.
The New Life Christian Church, John Masiza Higher Primary School and Walmer Lower Primary School were open yesterday for people to cast special votes.
The ANC, DA and UDM had a strong presence outside the three voting stations.
By late yesterday afternoon, only 24 people out of the 93 expected had cast their vote at Walmer Lower Primary School.
This included 10 home visits that were done near the school.
IEC presiding officer Ntombi Skweyiya remained positive that more residents would show up.
“They will come before we close. Otherwise there has been no unusual business,” Skweyiya said.
In Ward 14, which includes New Brighton and Sydenham, ANC councillor candidate Duanne Adams secured 71.3% of the votes but could not fulfil his role as he has a full-time job at SARS as a senior executive.
The ward also had a slow start as 73 of the 147 people registered for a special vote had cast their vote by late yesterday afternoon.
The voting stations are at the New Brighton rent office, Cowan High School, Pendla Primary School, Newell Public High School, Molefe Senior Primary School and Nangoza Jebe Hall.
IEC presiding officer Cikizwa Kivido, at the Nangoza Jebe Hall, said it was slow going but everything was running smoothly.
“Things are going really well. Even the party agents have been cooperating,” Kivido said.
“The only problem we had was with an elderly woman who refused to cast her vote as she had lost faith in the electoral process.”