While millions of people started queuing as early as 5am this morning to cast their votes for the seventh general elections, different political leaders will also do the same at their respective voting stations. IEC has said it's all systems go for the elections while President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on South Africans who are eligible to vote to cast their votes as a united nation.
ANC LEADERS
The African National Congress (ANC) will see its leaders vote at different stations this morning with Ramaphosa voting in Chiawelo, Soweto, as usual while his deputy, Paul Mashatile will vote at St. Johannes Lutheran Church, in Kelvin, Sandton. The party's secretary-general Fikile Mbalula is scheduled to vote in Orange Grove Primary School in Johannesburg, while Minister of Police, General Bheki Cele will cast his ballot for the National Elections in Lamontville in Ethekwini, KwaZulu-Natal.
THE OPPOSITION
As usual, EFF leader Julius Malema will be casting his vote at Mponegele Primary School in Seshego Zone 1, where he was once a learner. In previous elections, Malema was accompanied to the elections by his grandmother Sarah Malema who died in 2019, a few days before the national elections. This morning, he will be accompanied by his wife Mantwa Matlala.
Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie also declared that he will be casting his vote Kraaifontei in the Western Cape.
Inkatha Freedom Party leader Velenkosi Hlabisa will cast his vote at his hometown of Hlabisa at Mthekelezi Primary School. New kids on the block Rise Mzansi's KZN Premier candidate, Nonkululeko Hlongwane-Mhlongo, will cast her vote at Woodlands Primary School in Durban.
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader and KwaZulu-Natal Premier candidate, Chris Pappas, will vote at Thembelihle Primary School in Howick. He will be joined by DA's provincial leader, Francois Rodgers. Opposition party leader, Herman Mashaba, the President of ActionSA,will vote at Sandton Fire Station. He will be accompanied by his wife, Connie Mashaba. Former President Jacob Zuma and leader of uMkhonto WeSizwe Party will, as usual vote, at Ntolwane Primary School in Nkandla.
WHAT YOU NEED KNOW TO VOTE TODAY
IEC has called on all registered voters to confirm their voting stations by SMSing their ID number to 32810 or by using voting station finder application on their website. Eligible voters are reminded that they can only vote using their smartcard ID or green bar-coded ID. Driver's license or passport are not allowed.
Voters will be verified on the voters roll and marked with ink on the left thumb. Each voter will receive three ballot papers: the national, regional, and provincial ballot papers. Voters are reminded to indicate their choices with one mark on each ballot. Voters who have given pre-notification to vote at a voting station outside the province in which they are registered will receive only the national ballot.Each ballot paper will be validated with a stamp on the reverse.
All three ballots must be deposited in the ballot box at the voting station.It is prohibited for a voter to take a photograph of their marked ballot paper. This arrangement is necessary to protect the secrecy of the choice of voters and to avoid voters being coerced or unduly induced into making political choices.
