Sisiwe Nkwinti, a Broughton Farm resident, walks out of her mud hut and ties her baby on to her back with a blanket. She is collected by a bus service organised by the ANC, which drives the bumpy 10km road to Salem's community hall, to vote.
Sisiwe Nkwinti, a Broughton Farm resident, walks out of her mud hut and ties her baby on to her back with a blanket. She is collected by a bus service organised by the ANC, which drives the bumpy 10km road to Salem's community hall, to vote.
The hall is filled with photos which recall a time when democracy was just a dream. Despite their harsh living conditions, some people said they were still loyal to the ruling party, but were hoping for a change.
Nkwinti said, "We have to keep on voting for them, because when we go to ask for government assistance, such as food parcels, they will look at our IDs and see that we have not voted for them." She was referring to the alleged practice by some local officials of threatening to withhold services or favours from members of a community where the majority vote had not been for their party.
Velile Songongo said life was difficult for him and he was hoping his vote would change the situation for the better. "I have to depend on my neighbour for food. I work once a week and I am really not living well," he said.
Another Broughton Farm resident, Nondithini Gulwa, said councillors should be protecting the interests of their people. She said they had not seen results from their outgoing councillor, Boniwe Bonani, since she was appointed five years ago. According to an Independent Electoral Committee official, the voter turnout was surprisingly good. "We opened the doors at 6.55am and five minutes later people were coming."
By 11am more than 200 people had placed their votes in an efficient process which was aided by about 10 IEC volunteers. A few people walked from surrounding farms, but most were gathered by ANC-organised vehicles.
