The first day of special voting was marked by long waits in some places on Monday. (Jenni Evans/News24)

• Slow queues and long waiting times made some of South Africa’s senior citizens grumpy as special voting began on Monday. 
• In one case, the problem appeared to be a voters’ roll that was not in alphabetical order.
• Meanwhile, shops are notifying customers of their trading plans to accommodate staffers who want to vote.

Several elderly Tshwane residents complained about long waiting times at a voting station in Waverley, Pretoria, on Monday’s first day of special votes for the national and provincial elections. 

Some claimed they had to wait between two to three hours, despite no long queues.  

It was suspected a non-alphabetical order voters’ roll caused the delays, as Election Commission of South Africa officials had to study each page of the roll to find the voters’ names.  

Dawn Baleta, 85, said she was exhausted after waiting more than three hours to cast her vote. However, once officials found her name, the process ran smoothly.  

Baleta’s daughter, Debra, who brought her to vote, said several queueing elderly voters eventually left after waiting for prolonged periods.  

Baleta added it was an important vote for her to cast, as she wanted to see a change in government so South Africa would be in “good, honest hands” going forward.  

She said this might very well be her last chance to vote, and she was desperate to see change for the better for all people in South Africa. 

READ | On the road – a countrywide elections conversation

An unhappy Gert Stefanaus Janse van Rensburg, 65, said he waited in line for two-and-a-half hours.  

Meanwhile, party agents at the voting station said there was also an issue with people cutting to the front of the queue, but voting was running smoothly.

One added the estimated waiting time was around 45 minutes. 

Riaan du Bruyn, who cast his vote on Monday as he is working on Wednesday, said South Africans have an obligation to vote.  

“You have to contribute to a better tomorrow,” Du Bruyn added, saying he considered voting to be a duty and worried about voter apathy among the younger generations. 

Election day is a public holiday, but some shops will still provide services, albeit limited. (Jenni Evans/News24)

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Du Bruyn said older generations have more of a sense of responsibility, duty, and showing up than younger generations.  

He added the 2024 general elections was vitally important for the country to choose leadership that would steer it in a better direction.  

South Africa is one of at least 60 countries voting this year. 

Down in the Cape

Meanwhile, children played in the sun, waiting for a lift after school at Table View Primary in Cape Town while special voters trickled in.  

One of the officials, who has been at that voting station for at least three elections, said she was out earlier to visit people incapacitated through illness or injury yet determined to vote.  

“There are a lot of sick people out there,” she added sympathetically.

Pinned to the wall was a sample of the three ballot papers the 27.9 million voters in the seventh provincial and national elections will receive.  

A police van was parked outside, with two officials monitoring the station, but the only disturbance was the occasional shriek of schoolchildren playing.  

A sample of the ballot paper pasted on a wall at a voting station. (Jenni Evans/News24)

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Some of the shops in the area put up signs on their windows and doors to state they would either be open for a limited time only on Wednesday or to assure concerned customers that staff would be given a chance to vote.  

A sign outside the busy PostNet branch said they would operate under public holiday trading hours on the big day, Wednesday, adding: “We apologise for the inconvenience and grateful for the opportunity to vote.”  

A Woolworths notice stated they would be open on election day and added: “Our staff members will have time off to vote. We appreciate your patience if our service is impacted in any way during this time.” 

Meanwhile, on a lighter note, a poster called on people to vote for Rick Astley, whose career was revived by the “Rickrolling” phenomenon, was dotted playfully among some of the more serious political posters on lampposts. 

The poster read: Vote for Ricky Astley – He will never give you up, let you down, run around, desert you, make you cry, say goodbye, tell a lie, hurt you.

Dotted among the serious posters is a light-hearted moment. (Jenni Evans/News24)

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