Johannesburg - International Relations and Cooperation Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, was one of the first people to cast their special votes on Monday ahead of the national elections on Wednesday.
Sisulu was among a list of more than 770 000 people who applied for special votes - the number included the sick, infirmed and elderly who are allowed special privileges to cast their votes. As for Sisulu - aged 65 - she applied for a special votes as her party - the ANC - has deployed her to KwaZulu-Natal to monitor elections there.
Sisulu arrived at her traditional voting station at Linden High School in Linden, just before 3pm to cast her. Carrying her elegant red bag, she complied with the Electoral Commission (IEC) requirements. Without being asked to do so, she pulled out her green bar-coded ID and handed it over to one of the officers.
She was then given to ballot papers - one for national and other provincial. In less than five minutes - she had completed the process and inserted her ballot papers in the box.
Addressing the media outside the voting station, she said: “This is where I voted since 1994. I would always bring my mother (Albertina Sisulu) to the same station to cast our votes,” Sisulu said.
Initially, Sisulu urged voters to come and vote on Wednesday. She urged the voters to concentrate when voting to avoid having spoilt ballot papers.
“We need to avoid having spoilt ballot papers. I think people should just concentrate when voting. It is an easy process. They must vote for the party of their choice,” Sisulu said.
When asked about the Institute of Race Relations polls which said the ANC was likely to obtain below 52% of the national vote, jokingly Sisulu replied: “there must be a virus in their computers.
“There is no possibility that the ANC will obtain below 50% of the vote. We are going to get above 60%,” she said.
IEC Linden High School presiding officer Cyrilise Paulsen said Sisule was one of the 29 people who applied for special votes. Paulsen said Sisulu was 11th person who physically arrived at the cast their votes. Four other people who were scheduled to vote today where visited at their homes.
Paulsen said the remaining 14 people will cast their votes. Only EFF and DA party agents observed the processes today and none of the other parties were at Linden High School.
“Everything went smooth today. We are expecting to 14 other to vote tomorrow,” Paulsen said.