- Voters in the Eastern Cape came out in their number to cast their ballots in the 2021 municipal elections.
- Although voting day kicked off with a few hiccups, the day proceeded smoothly.
- The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro and Buffalo City Metro are some of the key municipalities up for grabs in the province.
Frank Fillis from Helenvale in Gqeberha has voted for the ANC and DA in previous elections, but on Monday he chose to support the EFF in the municipal election, and, if there is no change this time around, he's giving up on democracy.
"I feel like today is the last. I have voted for the ANC for many years. Then I voted for the DA. No changes have been made to our living conditions here in Helenvale. I'm now voting for the EFF and giving them a chance. If nothing changes, I'm never voting again," he told News24 outside the Hillcrest Primary School minutes after casting his vote.
On Monday, hundreds of voters came out to vote in the sixth municipal elections.
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In the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, areas like Helenvale, and others in the so-called Northern Areas, are crucial for parties such as the DA and GOOD.
Support from voters in coloured-dominated areas bump up the number of seats the opposition parties could win in council.
Helenvale is littered with rubbish in the streets and open fields resemble small landfills.
To make matters worse for the community, Fillis said sewage water often runs past their homes.
He said:
Asked if he had lost hope, Fillis said: "It's clear that the community has lost hope. Our young people are sitting on the streets, fighting each other and selling drugs. There is not much going on here, but we have to keep the hope alive."
Maureen Commons, a resident of Helenvale, said the despair in the area is boldly on display.
"I voted because I am hoping for some change. We have no services here. Even if we get the basics, it's not sufficient. Our people here need jobs. Our streets needs to be cleaned, and we need a decent supply of electricity. We don't have streetlights here. When it's dark the gangs take over," she said.
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According to a Media24 poll, coalition politics will be the order of the day. In Nelson Mandela Bay, it's expected that the ANC's support will drop to around 41%.
The same polls predicts that the DA could win 45% of the vote with a voter turnout of at least 50%.
Voters living in the poverty-stricken Bayland informal settlement braved the windy weather to cast their vote.
One of them was 70-year-old Thandiwe Sidina. She told News24 that ill-health could not get in her way to cast the vote.
She has been voting since 1994 but owning a RDP home remains a dream. But she was optimistic about the future.
"I could not miss this important day. We don't have houses, water or roads and although there are thousands of dwellers here, there is no single church. I am a widow of an Archbishop. I have been trying to get a church up for this community since arriving here in 2017," she said.
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Asked who she voted for, Sidina said: "It's my secret but I have been voting for the same party since 1994. They are not fantastic. There is a lot of areas they need improve but I am giving them the last chance. I love the party and I don't want to forsake it but I would like to urge them to change."
Disabled Ntombizodwa Mtyuda, 63, used crutches to get to the voting station.
"I am not well but I was told that this is the only way to improve my life. I am optimistic that things will change," she said.
Although she lives in a shack with no lights, or a toilet, she believes the municipality should prioritise the construction of pedestrian crossing lines on the busy R75 road running along the 3 000 shacks at Bayland.
"We have to cross the road every month to go to the community hall at Joe Slovo Township across the road from us. It's a nightmare. Elderly people like me get knocked over by car. My friend recently died after a car knocked her down there."
Results are expected to trickle in from tomorrow morning.
Stay updated with News24's latest coverage, opinion and analysis of Elections 2021. Check out results from the previous municipal elections.
