On Wednesday, South Africans took to the polls to choose the political parties that they would like to lead the seventh administration. According to the IEC, more than 27-million people were registered to vote but those who went to vote numbered just over 8-million. About 15-million of the voting population are women. In terms of age group, voter registration is highest among those who are 30 to 39 years old, numbering almost 7-million.

On election day, Elitsha reporters mainly in the metropolitan centres spoke to voters about what kind of change they would like the new administration to prioritise: jobs for young people, crime reduction and much needed services top the list.

In Cape Town

For the first time, voters had three ballots – national, provincial and regional. Photo by Mzi Velapi

Residents of the most populous areas of the Western Cape say they hope that the elections and whoever takes power afterwards will deal with the issues of crime and youth unemployment, and deliver quality social services.

Long queues were a common feature at voting stations in informal settlements. Photo by Vincent Lali

According to the Independent Electoral Commission, there are over 3.7-million voters registered at 1,572 voting stations in the Western Cape, most of them in the City of Cape Town. The majority of registered voters in the province are people between 40 and 49 years of age, mostly women.

According to the IEC, there are over 3.7-million voters registered at 1,572 voting stations in the Western Cape.

Gqeberha and East London

Many Eastern Cape voters were frustrated with the manner in which the general elections kicked off on Monday, 27 May. They bemoaned failures by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to organise the voting process efficiently.

Topping their grievances was the late arrival of ballot papers, the malfunctioning of voting verification devices and having the ballot papers not in an alphabetical order. Voters were frustrated by the long queues, and the late opening of voting stations that forced them to wait under a scorching sun.

Queueing voters got relief from the sun in the shade of a huge tree outside Morewag Community Hall in Gqeberha. Photo by Joseph Chirume

The voting process in East London’s Mdantsane township went smoothly, despite delays at some stations. Both young and elderly people came out in numbers. Before 10 a.m., elderly people at Mdantsane’s Unit 7 Community Hall were already standing in long queues with some seated.

Voters queueing outside a voting station in NU7 in Mdantsane. Photos by Chwayita Dinginto

Johannesburg and Pretoria

Voters in Soweto of various party affiliations, young and old, expressed their desire for change. They yearn for the South Africa promised in 1994.

Further north, residents of Mamelodi East in Tshwane heeded the call to vote, wanting jobs for the youth.

Voters at Shirinda Primary School voting station in Tshwane on Wednesday. Photo by Lilita Gcwabe

Vhembe, Limpopo

Having waited for years to cast their votes, young and elderly persons in Vhembe district, Limpopo, braced the morning cold and queued at their local IEC voting stations to vote for their favoured political parties. The voters Elitsha spoke to voiced their concerns on several service delivery issues, including a lack of water provision, the poor condition of roads, and the shortage of jobs.

There are over 2.7-million registered voters in Limpopo and the majority of them are between the ages of 30-39 according to the IEC. Photo by Ndivhuwo Mukwevho