While most electorates are very excited to vote for their favourite political parties in the sixth democratic general elections, others expressed doubt about their lives changing for the better after elections.

“We have been voting since 1994 but 25 years down the line, we are still living in poverty. What’s the use of voting if our lives are not changing,” some concerned villagers told Letaba Herald.

They cited lack of water and the roads that are impassable during rainy season as some of their challenges.

High unemployment rate especially among the youth is also one of the major challenges.

Read: IEC suspends Tzaneen area manager over lost ballot boxes

They commended the government for building them RDP houses and connecting electricity to their homes.
The Mayor of the Greater Tzaneen Municipality, Maripe Mangena said that significant strides have been made since the dawn of democracy 25 years ago.

“To consolidate this democracy and grow this area, each one of you must go out and vote. Elections are very important for any democracy and ours is not exempted.  I must also put an emphasis on the importance of youth participation in the upcoming election,” said Mangena.

He said everyone has responsibility of ensuring that these upcoming elections are peaceful, free and fair.
“We can achieve this through the proper compliance with electoral laws and rules and more importantly through political tolerance. Let us engage one another through discussion and not through the use of force.
“As the Greater Tzaneen Municipality we will ensure that the provision of all essential services remain uninterrupted,” said Mangena.

Mopani District Municipality’s Executive Mayor, Nkakareng Rakgoale says that people of Mopani must vote in the upcoming elections in defence of the gains of freedom and democracy.

Rakgoale said significant progress has been made since 1994. “We still have challenges, including issues of unemployment, crime and corruption. We believe that working together we can grow the country’s economy to create jobs for our people.
“Working together we can turn the tide against crime and corruption,” said Rakgoale.

Police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said operational personnel are ready for deployment to sustain any eventualities during elections.

“It’s all systems go for the police. We will deploy enough manpower to all the polling station to deal with any situation that may arise,” assured Mojapelo.

With this year’s ballot touted as being the most hotly contested vote since the dawn of democracy in 1994, every eligible South African is urged to vote to decide the country’s future.

You can double check where you are registered by SMS your ID Number to 32810 or log into www.elections.org.za

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