Now it’s all systems go for election
Trouble-free special votes seen as dry run
AS THE countdown begins, early indications are that it will be smooth sailing on election day tomorrow.
The special votes yesterday were seen as a dry run for the big day and according to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), everything went smoothly.
The first votes were cast yesterday morning across South Africa for the 2019 National and Provincial Elections as special voting got under way at 9am.
More than 774 000 voters were granted permission for special votes for yesterday and today both at voting stations (321 676 voters) and through home visits (452 418).
“As at 12pm today (Monday) no major incidents had been reported and the majority of voting stations were up and running,” the IEC said in a statement.
“Among the minor challenges reported by election officials included late delivery of some election materials, last-minute pitching of tents and the non-arrival of election staff due to illness.
The IEC and Cosatu’s biggest affiliate Nehawu reached a last-minute agreement to avert a potentially embarrassing protest by the electoral body’s employees on election day tomorrow.
Tomorrow, 26.7 million registered voters will cast their votes at 22 924 voting stations across the country in a watershed election with 48 parties contesting.
Police were worried about hot spots in KwaZulu-Natal and North West.
Meanwhile, as part of the police readiness for voting tomorrow police national commissioner Lieutenant-General Khehla Sitole will visit Mahikeng in the North West, identified as a hotspot.
And speaking in the Western Cape yesterday, Police Minister Bheki Cele said: “All indications tell us that all provinces are ready and fine.
“There are two provinces, although they are ready, that remain high-risk: KwaZulu-Natal and North West. The few stations that are high-risk do not make the province high-risk.”
Cele said the time for robust campaigning had ended and called for peaceful voting.
“Let’s give voters the time and space to consider their options and make their choices this week in an atmosphere of peaceful reflection.”
The IEC urged communities not to engage in any civil unrest, protests or demonstrations which may impact on electoral operations.
“We have engaged with the security agencies, including the SAPS, to ensure that no disruptions to the elections are tolerated,” said chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo.
It also emerged yesterday that Gauteng has more than 100 000 uncollected smartcard IDs.
Home Affairs revealed that the biggest number of the documents required for voting are stacked at its branches in the Joburg CBD, Randburg and Soweto.
A latest poll also gives President Cyril Ramaphosa 6.5 out of 10 rating as a political party leader.
The survey conducted in March and last month by global market research and a consulting firm, Ipsos, gauged reactions of 3 500 respondents on how the president, premiers and governments of the nine provinces were doing.
According to Ipsos, Ramaphosa has received a good score compared with the scores of the leaders of the main opposition parties.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane scored 3.5 out of 10 and EFF leader Julius Malema scored 3.4 out of 10.
The survey also looked at speculation that the president might replace current deputy president David Mabuza after Wednesday’s general election and replace him with Nkosazana DlaminiZuma.
On provincial government, the survey revealed that outgoing Western Cape Premier Helen Zille topped the performance list, as evaluated by the registered voters polled in each respective province.
Four provincial governments, the Western Cape, Northern Cape, Gauteng and the Free State got a “pass mark” of more than 50% for handling their jobs very or fairly well.