Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Get your passport blessed 
  • Yes, it changed us
  • The Enyobeni Tavern tragedy: lessons for our own municipality
  • The spirit of Africa in indigenous African instruments
  • A laugh a day keeps the end of fest blues away
  • The hole left by absent fathers
  • Festival Of Circles: a festival within a festival
  • The stunning story of an autistic, self-taught pianist
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
Cue Media
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»Uncategorized»Shades of 1994 as SA goes to the polls
Uncategorized

Shades of 1994 as SA goes to the polls

Kayla RouxBy Kayla RouxMay 7, 2014No Comments4 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

The history of democracy in our country reached another major milestone today as millions of South Africans began arriving at stations around the country to vote in our country’s fifth national and provincial election, said Chief Electoral Officer, Mosotho Moepya.

The history of democracy in our country reached another major milestone today as millions of South Africans began arriving at stations around the country to vote in our country’s fifth national and provincial election, said Chief Electoral Officer, Mosotho Moepya.

By late morning on Wednesday 7 May, voting was proceeding smoothly, peacefully and briskly at voting stations across South Africa, he said.

In echoes of 1994, South Africans of all races, genders, cultures, languages and backgrounds were once again united as a nation in their support for democracy as they turned out in their millions to cast a vote in the national and provincial elections.

Moepya said that shortly after the scheduled 7am start of voting, 89% of the 22 263 voting stations had reported opening on schedule. 

This had increased to over 95% by 9am as election staff reported in on the system following the opening rush.

By 11am the final handful of stations which had experienced delays were in the process of opening.

These delays were primarily of a logistical and staffing nature and included the late arrival of staff and escorting security personnel; the late delivery of some voting material and delayed access to voting station facilities primarily in unlocking buildings.

In one instance, the boat used to transport personnel across a river to a voting station in KwaZulu-Natal was delayed in arriving

In addition, strong winds in George and Atlantis in the Western Cape and Upington in the Northern Cape had damaged tents used as temporary voting stations.

“(We) are pleased to report significantly fewer incidents of community protest action affecting the voting process early today – with voting proceeding calmly although quietly in many previously affected areas. 

We would like to thank those communities for working with us to allow voting to proceed. This includes Sterkspruit in the Eastern Cape, Bekkersdal in Gauteng and Maramulele in Limpopo,” the IEC said.

Isolated community protests, however, continued to affect the opening of some stations to varying degrees today, said Moepya.

Among the areas in which isolated instances of protest action affecting the opening of voting stations were:

·         Maruleng in Limpopo;
·         Gugulethu in Springs, Gauteng;
·         Botshabelo, Free State;
·         eNgcobo, Eastern Cape; and
·         Barcelona in Khayalitsha in the Western Cape.

 

“We also received a report of an accident involving an IEC area manager near Gariep in the Free State. The manager was not severely injured and we wish him a speedy recovery.

“We have also had a report of an accident near Barkley West in the Northern Cape in which a party agent died and another was critically injured in an accident on their way to a voting station. We would like to express our condolences to their families,” he said.

“The Electoral Commission would like to thank the security services for their support and assistance in all areas including in escorting security material, securing the voting stations and in ensuring peace and stability.

“We would also like to thank the voters who continue to inspire us all as they stand together patiently, proudly and passionately to vote in what has become a symbol of our nation,” said Moepya.

Previous ArticleA town where poetry thrives
Next Article What lies ahead for Mariel Ilusorio?
Kayla Roux

Related Posts

Johan Carinus tree planting

Learn music fit for a king

First place for Malawian journalist- Need to upload Pix

Comments are closed.

Cue for you!
Cue for you!
Cue for you!
Tweets by Grocotts
Newsletter



Listen

The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

Latest video

Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

© 2022 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.