Cape Town - While some didn’t let the heavy showers this morning affect their decision to vote, it did appear to be affecting the voter turnout of Wynberg residents at the Wittebome High School voting station in Ward 63.
Competing ward councillor candidates, Dmitri Jegels (ANC), Ilhaam Karriem (NFP) and Yusuf Dalwai (Al Jama-ah), gathered at the high school and urged voters to come out, make their mark and use this opportunity to have their voices heard.
Jegels visited the voting stations in the ward this morning, and said the turnout for Wynberg was much lower than that of Plumstead.
Jegels appealed to the voters to make use of this opportunity to determine who their ward councillor would be for the next five years by voting.
The showers of rain this morning appear to be affecting the voter turnout in Ward 63. Competing councillor candidates, Yusuf Dalwai (Al Jama-ah), Dmitri Jegels (ANC), and Ilhaam Karriem (NFP) are urging voters to come out and make their mark @TheCapeArgus @IOL #LGE2021 pic.twitter.com/9UnkAjH5oq
DA councillor candidate Carmen Siebritz said she was excited as it was her first time standing as a councillor and expected a good turnout after the counting, but it all boiled down to the voters coming out and making their mark today.
Dalwai said he felt confident of the turnout from his supporters and looked forward to a good election this year, but was disappointed that some of the new voters from the most recent voter registration period that took place were not picked up on the IEC’s system
“I’m hoping that the IEC is dealing with that urgently this morning, so that people can come out and vote, especially the new voters,” said Dalwai.
At the voting station at Hyde Park Primary School, Fairways resident Robert Lekay said: “It was a good thing for us to make our mark, for local and national elections, so that we can make our decision about what is happening and vote people out if we are not happy with the services that we are getting.
“I’m quite happy with who I’m voting for today.”