Pretoria – Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane on Monday morning reminded South Africans that the right to vote for all was hard-earned and urged registered voters to come out in their numbers to make their mark on the ballot.
“We are expecting about 1.9 million registered voters to cast their votes here in Mpumalanga today, and we want to take this opportunity and encourage all of them to go out and exercise their right and cast their vote. This is the right that was not easily earned. It was earned through sweat and blood,” she said at a voting station in Emalahleni.
“Today, we have to make sure that whenever there are elections, whether national or our municipal or by-elections, we go out there in our numbers and exercise our right.”
The premier said her vote was an appreciation of the sacrifices made by Struggle stalwarts.
“My vote is not a secret. To us, as Africans, blacks, in particular, this is something we value so much. It's something we never got through a silver spoon. It was through sweat and blood.Today, we are able to vote as citizens. Each time there are votes, be it special votes, national votes, or for local municipalities, I make sure that I cast my vote until my last breath. That is non-negotiable. We are encouraging our people to do,” said Mtshweni-Tsipane.
“It (franchise to vote) is not something we got overnight. It was not given to us overnight, and therefore, it is an opportunity we cannot afford to lose. That is where we have an opportunity to voice how we want South Africa to be shaped.”
Earlier, the Electoral Commission of South (IEC) also appealed to registered South Africans to come out in numbers to make their mark at voting stations for the hotly contested local government elections.
“We want more South Africans, everybody, let us come out. This is our democracy, let us celebrate it, and as you can see, people have come out in large numbers. We wish them well for the day,” IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini said at a voting station at Dainfern in Joburg.
“As you can see, things have started on time. We have three voting centres here. People are being marshalled into which queue they should proceed with. All pensioners are required to go to the front of the queue. They will be welcomed to proceed, the pensioners.”
Mashinini said the elections today, the first polls held in South Africa under the cloud of the Covid-19 pandemic, proved the resilience of the nation.
“It is the resilience of our country and the capability we have as a nation that if we put our minds into it, things can be done. Under normal (circumstances) we require 86 days of the prescribed timetable to deliver the electoral operations but (this time) in 42 days, the operation is up, and we hope the 26.6 million voters would be able to cast their votes and make their choices heard,” he said.
IOL