Excitement and frustration, some turned away at voting stations they were not registered at

Cape Town residents came out in their numbers to vote on Wednesday, and at the Civic Centre, nearly 4 000 people had voted by 5pm.

This comes as some voters said more awareness should have been brought to the fact that they could not vote at any station.

The IEC had implored citizens, who will not be able to cast their vote at their registered voting station, to make an application to vote elsewhere.

An irate woman at the Civic Centre claimed she recently relocated from Makhaza in Khayelitsha and was now residing in Sea Point.

“In the past we could vote outside our stations. Now we are here and told something we never heard before.

“I was first rejected at the station in Sea Point. Now I’m being rejected here so that means I’m not voting today because Khayelitsha is far.

“I recently relocated here. I feel like more education should have been done about it this,” she said.

An IEC employee explained that they had to turn back a number of people, including someone who registered to vote in Paarl, and requested them to escalate their grievances.

@capetimessa An irate woman who attempted to cause a scene at the Civic Centre claimed she recently relocated from Makhaza in Khayelitsha and was now residing in Sea Point. “In the past we could vote outside our stations. Now we are here and told something we never heard before. I was first rejected a voting station in Sea Point. Now I’m being rejected here so that means I’m not voting today because Khayelitsha is far. They want that other party to remain in power. It is unfair because I recently relocated here. I feel like more education should have been done about it this,” she said. #ElectionSA2024🇿🇦 ♬ original sound - Sir Antu

Eligible voters had to submit a Section 24A application at their local IEC office or via the online voter registration portal to cast their vote outside their registered voting station.

Meanwhile, residents of Europe, one of Gugulethu's oldest informal settlements, were fired up to cast their votes in the hope that the political party they support to end up being in power.

There was a long queue of early bird voters in the area of ward 40, with different political parties singing in jubilation.

WATCH: Europe informal settlement in Gugulethu, excitement is in the air. People are fired up and ready to place their X.
📹 @okuhle_hlati pic.twitter.com/g5w8xt6eU4

— Cape Times (@CapeTimesSA) May 29, 2024

Some people who had been standing in line for more than two hours were served hot beverages.

Monde Qondiso, 49, said he wanted to see an improvement of service delivery such as water and sanitation.

“I have lived here for more than a decade and have been voting ever since I could, but nothing has really changed over the years.

“Our living conditions, sewage running in the streets, refuse piling and our children's unemployment tell us about the kind of leaders we have in government.

“I keep voting because I hope things will eventually change,” said Qondiso.

He said his daughter has been struggling to find employment for about two years now.

At the Malawi informal settlement voting station in Belhar, Benwah Buys said crime and employment should be prioritised in the next administration.

Cape Times