#elections2024: Look what made news in Boksburg during the 1994 elections

These are excerpts from and full stories that made headlines in the Boksburg Advertiser dated May 6, 1994, just after the first democratic elections had taken place (April 27):

Many are counted
At the time of going to press the African National Congress had polled almost 54% of the votes cast in the National Assembly and 55% in the Provincial Assembly.

Chairman of the Boksburg branch of the ANC Alfred Woodington was still waiting to hear if he would be elected and declined to comment on his prospects at this stage as he felt it would be premature.

However, he said he was happy with the results as it put the ANC in a strong position to bring about the necessary changes.

Dr Geldenhuys, the only member of the NP’s NA delegation who could be contacted, said: “A new era has dawned in South Africa.

“As a newly elected member of the country’s first fully representative parliament, I have the highest hopes for the future. In a political dispensation built on justice, I must believe South Africa’s biggest asset is its people. Together we can develop this country to its fullest potential as a powerhouse of Africa.”

Peace, smiles as Boksburg waits to vote
For the first time in the history of South Africa, people queued together to vote for the party of their choice. It was also the first time white South Africans had the chance to vote for a person of another race.

Many bedridden patients were also, for the first time in their lives, denied the opportunity to vote.

One such person, Dr Leah Chesler of Plantation, was extremely angry about this. However, thanks to St John Ambulance personnel she was able to cast a special vote at the Cosmos Home for the Frail Aged.

In Dawn Park the queue of voters stretched for about 6km and in places people stood eight abreast. But no one seemed to mind too much.

There were complaints, but on the whole, they were good-natured and the atmosphere was happy and relaxed.

Angry officials descend on the fire station
The Joint Operations Centre at the Leon Ferreira Fire Station worked throughout the night on Wednesday last week fielding complaints from angry voters and polling booth officials.

Evidently, they (the complainants) believed the centre was being used as a collection point for ballet papers. When the forms failed to arrive, JOC personnel came in for a great deal of flak.

According to deputy fire chief Douw Steyn, the confusion arose as the result of “arrangements” for a helicopter delivery of ballot papers.

Initially, the helicopter was supposed to land at the City Stadium. Mr Steyn was concerned about the safety aspects of a helicopter landing at the stadium and offered the use of the fire department’s helipad. However, the ballot papers failed to arrive as no arrangements had been made for delivery to the city.

ALSO READ: Ward 23 by-elections: residents hope for change as voting continues

At about 9pm an angry crowd of election officials arrived at the fire station looking for ballot papers. One official even wanted Mr Steyn to deliver the non-existent papers.

Telephonic enquiries about the missing documents continued until, at 1am, Mr Steyn was told to expect 70 000 ballot papers at about 3am.

“The papers – 6 500 national and 3 000 provincial – arrived at about 05:00 and at 07:00 another 50 000 papers were received,” he said.

They were collected and distributed to the polling stations by Independent Electoral Commission officials.

Voters use toilet roll box
Ballot papers were not the only thing in short supply at polling stations. Many residents using the supper room facilities at the town hall had to place their votes in a make-shift ballot box – a cardboard box which previously contained toilet rolls.

The top of the box, except for a section in which the vote was placed, was sealed with cable ties under the surveillance of IEC monitors and party officials.

When the box was full the ballot papers were due to be transferred to a metal trunk and sealed in the presence of the officials and monitors.

25 ‘bomme’ is hier aangemeld
Altesaam 25 bomdreigemente is vanaf 25 to 28 April in Boksburg aangemeld. Hierdie inligting is deur Lourens Engelbrecht van die Boksburg Brandweer, aan die Advertiser bekend gemaak.

Volgens mnr Engelbrecht het die meeste dreigemente in die dorp en onmiddelike omgewing voorgekom, waar nie minder as 15 bomdregemente aangemeld is.

‘n Verdere agt bomdreigemente het vanuit die Oos-Randse Mall en onmiddelike omgewing plaasgevind. Goeie nuus is dat nie een van die dreigemente positief was nie.

ALSO READ: #ELECTIONS 2024 – SUBURB WATCH: WITFIELD