Elections 2019 …and so South Africa anxiously waits

8 May finally arrived and South Africans showed up in their millions yesterday (Wednesday) to vote in yet another democratic election. Now for an even longer haul until the final results announcement, which is expected tomorrow (Friday) afternoon.
Surprises characterising the finishing straight of the elections race couldn’t possibly have been ruled out, but a reported split down the middle of the African National Congress’s (ANC) provincial leadership that erupted on the weekend still seemingly caught many off guard.
Mutterings in ruling party ranks about Friday’s reported directive from ANC Provincial Secretary Soviet Lekganyane apparently barring party Deputy Provincial Chairperson and Treasurer Florence Radzilani and Danny Msiza from party activities pending the VBS Mutual Bank issue still to be resolved, attribute happenings to daggers being drawn for a spill of blood ahead of yesterday’s elections.
In some corners it was regarded as levelling of the playing field in a scramble for positions, it was learnt. A vote for the party would automatically have meant a vote for positions in a newly constituted Legislature and Executive Council (Exco) to be announced after the elections, sources stressed. While sources reasoned that ANC Provincial Chairperson Stan Mathabatha would in all probability stay on as Premier, there was emphasis on a fair share of renewal supposedly injecting fresh blood into structures as much as continuity most likely resulting in a fair share of old faces being retained.
Meanwhile it was established that there is talk in party ranks of an apparent call for a Provincial General Council (PGC) after the elections to introduce a vote of no confidence in Lekganyane’s leadership abilities in order to have him unceremoniously removed. However, a source brushed it off by saying membership was regrouping around the organisation and not individuals. The same source alluded to the cracks in the party’s top structure being serious. “The fact that they are visible should be a concern, especially on the eve of the elections.”
Already on Friday evening the split was glaringly evident when the top leadership of the party in the province seemingly stood up a hall full of guests, businesspeople affiliated to the ruling party and keynote speaker Tito Mboweni who showed up for a gala dinner in Polokwane. A no-show by neither Mathabatha nor the remaining top four in the structure in Limpopo saw proceedings getting off to a start at 19:17, almost an hour and a half after the scheduled time slot. The event was promoted as a fundraiser for election work and a business networking session prior to which ten-seater tables sold for R20 000, R10 000 and R5 000 while single seats went for R500. In addition art works were on offer for auction during the black tie affair.
Eventually ANC Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) member and MEC Mapula Mokaba-Phukwana was called on to fill in for Lekganyane to present Mboweni to the audience. It was established that Legislature Deputy Speaker Lehlogonolo Masoga had to do the vote of thanks that evening instead of ANC PEC spokesperson Donald Selamolela who would have had to stand in for Deputy Provincial Secretary Basikopo Makamu.
Polokwane Observer couldn’t manage to secure comment from Selamolela on the reported split in party ranks or on the amount eventually raised during Friday evening’s occasion.
The last hours leading to Elections 2019 were marked by upheaval and incidents in hotspots and remote locations in Vuwani and Giyani areas, earlier reported on on observer.co.za. However, came Election Day and excitement among the general voting public couldn’t be dampened. In Polokwane scores of voters were out and about since early morning to cast their ballots.
At the last check around 09:00 yesterday Electoral Commission (IEC) provincial spokesperson Motsiri Ramafalo informed Polokwane Observer that all of the 3 157 voting stations across Limpopo were open. The same counted for Vuwani, unless something has happened upon stations there having opened, he added. When asked about information received from the station at Moloto Senior Primary School in Mabokelele in the Moletjie area not having been open by around 07:55 yesterday, he indicated they were not aware of the delay.
Ramafalo said in case of no glitches final results were expected out tomorrow (Friday) afternoon.
And so South Africa waits.

Story: YOLANDE NEL
>>observer.yolande@gmail.com
Photos: Editorial team