Some early morning voting hiccups in Joburg

There were some hiccups as voting got under way in Joburg, but as the day progressed it seemed most issues were ironed out.

In the northern suburbs, Sandton Chronicle reports that ward councillor Candice James raised concern that at 7.30am, two voting stations in Paulshof, namely St Peter’s Prep School, and Rivonia Recreation Club were not yet open because the IEC failed to deliver material on time.

This was despite the IEC announcing they had done everything in their power to prepare themselves. James said the commission did not deliver some materials that were needed to allow voting to take place.

The biggest concern was that most voters were leaving stations and said they would not vote because of what looked like a lack of preparation from the IEC’s side.

Meanwhile, ward councillor Tim Truluck confirmed it was mostly running smoothly in his ward, which comprised Pine Park, Pierneef Park, Portion of Blairgowrie, Victory Park, Parkhurst, Parktown North, Rosebank, Saxonwold and Parkwood. He said all material arrived on time, allowing voting stations to open on time. He said the turn out was good. In the first hour of voting stations being open, more than 200 people arrived to cast in their votes at Saxonwold while at Blairgowrie, he said more than 100 people had arrived.

Parkhurst's voting station was ready for business at 6am already. Voting going well. Make your mark! pic.twitter.com/2GftLfynJa

— Parkhurst Village (@Parkhurst_JHB) August 3, 2016

In the northwest of Joburg, Randburg Sun reports that in Auckland Park, jazz music was played, and tea and coffee were served to residents, while at the Panorama sports ground in Roodepoort, there was reportedly only one scanner, and the queue was moving extremely slowly there. The voting station at Allen Glen High School in Randburg saw alumni and DA leader Mmusi Maimane with his wife, Natalie, cast their votes this morning. “I almost forgot my ID. I voted with the same ID since first voting in 1999,” joked Maimane.

As Maimane place his vote in the ballot box, he said everyone in the country was feeling the winds of change and that he was confident about how voting will go today.

On the East Rand, the Bedfordview Edenvale News reported that Edenvale residents came out in their numbers to cast their votes.

 

– Caxton News Service