Lesufi and Mbeki cast their votes

Long after casting their votes on 8 May, some residents continued to linger around the Holy Family College voting station in anticipation to see former president Thabo Mbeki who reigned as the president of South Africa from June 1999 to September 2008.

While waiting for his arrival, voters got a chance to interact with Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi. On arrival, Mbeki first asked everyone if they had voted. Mbeki also refused to answer ‘questions which amount to campaigning’ before proceeding to plead with voters to really apply their minds to the voting process.

“As I was voting, I was looking at the list of the parties that are contesting and it’s a very long list. I think in order to choose among all of them would require that all of us apply our minds to say: What do these parties represent? In terms of the future of the country, do they give hope? The choice is very wide,” Mbeki said.

He added that people were all concerned about unemployment and hoped that whoever they voted for would see to their needs.

Mbeki also spoke about his role on the upcoming Malawi elections to be held on 21 May. “The Commonwealth asked me to lead their observer team in Malawi and that’s what we will do. We are hoping for peaceful elections with results being handled in a proper way.”

Details: Holy Family College 011 486 1104.

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