Elections go off smoothly, quietly
2 March 2006
South Africa's third municipal elections since democracy in 1994 went off without any major hitches around the country on Wednesday, with officials playing down reports of a relatively low voter turnout.
The worst problems on Wednesday were caused by heavy rains, which left several polling stations and access roads flooded in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
Despite this, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) reported that 99% of 18 791 polling stations were open by 9am on Wednesday, and that all stations were up and running by 11am.
The IEC was also unfazed by a power cut in some parts of Cape Town, saying that voting was proceeding smoothly, with polling stations well stocked with enough lanterns and candles to make sure "everybody can see where they are putting their crosses."
'Don't judge elections by Khutsong'
President Thabo Mbeki, referring to Khutsong township, where residents
mostly heeded a call to boycott the elections, said the country's municipal elections should not be judged against "a fraction of the 21-million South Africans registered to vote".
Khutsong residents have been protesting against the transfer of Merafong municipality - of which Khutsong is part - from Gauteng to North West province.
Mbeki, paying a visit to the IEC's national election centre in Pretoria, told journalists not to focus on Khutsong alone. "The people of Khutsong are only a fraction of the 21-million South Africans registered to vote," he said.
"The IEC has informed me that all voting stations are open. I'm satisfied that there is peace everywhere in the country. There's no violence. In areas that were affected by floods, ballot papers were delivered by helicopter. It's all systems go," Mbeki said.
South Africans 'used to voting' now
"It's good to have a boring election", Mosotho Moepya, one of the IEC's two deputy
chief electoral officers, told Business Day.
Moepya's comment was echoed by University of Stellenbosch political analyst Hennie Kotze, who told the SA Press Association that South Africans had become "used to voting by now," adding that local government elections had always been "lower temperature elections" than national government elections.
Kotze said a voter turnout of about 50% was expected, but estimated that the figure could be closer to 40%.
The IEC began counting votes after polling stations closed at 7pm on Wednesday. The commission said it aims to declare the election within three days.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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