Dieketseng Nare, 68, a resident in Kliptown, Soweto, cast her vote during special voting on Monday.
Political parties and government have made a final appeal to South Africans to vote in Wednesday’s local government elections, with calls for a strong turnout dominating weekend rallies as campaigning enters its final days.
Party leaders made their appeals at rallies in KwaMashu, Ulundi, Soweto, Mamelodi, and Mdantsane. At the same time, government and local government organisations emphasised the importance of electing councillors accountable to residents.
The appeals come after voter turnout in municipal elections fell from 57.94% of registered voters in 2016 to 45.87% in 2021, according to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) figures.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his weekly newsletter on Monday, urged voters to take part and appealed for a peaceful election, free of violence and intimidation.
“I call on all registered voters to go out to the polling stations on Wednesday because local government is essential to improving the quality of life of citizens,” he said.
Ramaphosa said municipal failures had damaged public confidence, but the election allowed communities to change that by choosing representatives who would serve them.
At the ANC’s Siyanqoba rally at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, on Sunday, Ramaphosa called on party members to mobilise voters ahead of the election. An ANC statement issued over the weekend similarly urged registered voters to support the party, linking its appeal to promises to improve municipal services.
DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis told the party's final rally at Moretele Park in Mamelodi on Saturday that people wanting a change in government needed to turn up on election day.
“Let us fill up those voting stations. Let us turn out in record numbers. Let us make every vote count,” Hill-Lewis said.
Special voting taking place in Kliptown, Soweto, on Monday.
He urged supporters to contact family members and neighbours, make plans to reach their polling stations and encourage others to do the same. The DA's campaign focused on infrastructure repairs, basic services and accountability in municipalities.
EFF leader Julius Malema used the party's Tshela Thupa rally at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday to urge voters to consider its proposals for addressing corruption and failing municipal services.
“Our manifesto is not a list of empty promises,” Malema said, outlining the party's plans to address problems facing municipalities.
Malema said EFF-led councils would strengthen their own capacity to repair roads and maintain water and sanitation systems, rather than repeatedly paying contractors for work that did not last.
In KwaMashu, former president Jacob Zuma addressed the MK Party's final rally at Princess Magogo Stadium on Sunday. According to reports, Zuma called on voters to support the party and said it was ready to lead municipalities. The MK Party is contesting its first local government elections.
At the IFP's final rally in Ulundi on Sunday, IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa urged people to vote rather than stay away. He said their participation would help decide who governed municipalities and how communities were served.
The South African Local Government Association (SALGA) urged voters to consider the integrity, competence and commitment of candidates, warning that the quality of municipal leadership depended on the choices made at the ballot box.
In Verulam, community activist Roshan Lil-Ruthan appealed to residents to judge candidates by their records, including their response to water interruptions, failing infrastructure, and concerns about local services.
“This election is not about personalities. It is not about slogans. It is not about promises made a few weeks before polling day. It is about performance, accountability, integrity, and results. Most importantly, vote,” Lil-Ruthan said.
Wednesday has been declared a public holiday. Voting stations will open from 7am to 9pm, with voters required to cast their ballots where they are registered and bring an accepted identity document.
The IEC urged voters to check their registration details in advance and reminded them that driving licences and passports are not accepted for voting.