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We’ve rounded up some of the best comments of election day.
“There’s too much corruption, dis ’n klomp kak.”
24-year-old Abubakr Majiet from Bo Kaap, Western Cape, on why he didn’t vote
“My vote is magical, it will increase all of these votes inside.”
President Jacob Zuma joking after he put his papers in the ballot box
“We have put up a good fight. It ends here. It’s now up to South Africans.”
EFF leader Julius Malema after voting in his hometown Seshego
“We talk about a free and fair election, then a Desperate Alliance embarks on apartheid-style dirty tactics. It will backfire on them,”
Danny Jordaan, ANC’s mayoral candidate for Nelson Mandela Bay, blaming the DA after News24 reported that he had hired top lawyers to defend him in the Fifa corruption probe
“They hanged [Jesus Christ] and those who hanged him can never say, yes we hanged him but he was our hero too.”
Jordaan drawing parallels between Nelson Mandela and Christ, who was supposed to have been crucified, while talking about the DA’s use of Madiba for their election campaign
“How do you sleep at night? Sir, how do you sleep at night?”
A young man to former president Kgalema Motlanthe while Motlanthe was conducting an interview with journalists
“No coffee after 5pm” – was Motlanthe’s response
“No one should ever allow protocol issues to push them ahead of the queue.”
Motlanthe on why he stood at the back of the queue when he arrived at his voting station
“It’s obvious but still a secret.”
Former president Thabo Mbeki on who he voted for
“Vote wisely!”
DA members when Mbeki arrived to cast his vote
“Today for the first time the DA will have over 104 000 people volunteering for these elections because we want to watch, we want to monitor the IEC. We want to assure South Africans that we are watching everything.”
DA leader Mmusi Maimane, who also warned he has the “entire legal fraternity” waiting to act should the IEC fail to conduct free and fair elections
Hayi bo iphi i-ANC? (There’s no ANC candidate on the ballot in Tamboerskloof Ward 77)
The lady next to City Press journalist Andisiwe Makinana’s voting booth was surprised to not find the ruling party on the ballot paper
“Our position is clear: no voting for us and people would rather play soccer.”
Vuwani community leader
A box of matches only costs 50c and that’s all they need to reduce my family house to rubble and ashes.”
A community member in Vyeboom, near Vuwani, on his fears about retaliation from the community if he voted
“I know they’re watching me but I support my party wholeheartedly and I just had to vote and ensure our councillor goes through. Whatever happens after this I will take it like a man.”
A 25-year-old man in Ha-Matsila village on why he decided to vote despite knowing the risk that comes with it
“Constitutionally it is not necessarily wrong for people not to vote, but ideally with our new democracy those who are not going to vote will be denying themselves an opportunity to be part of a process of strengthening our democracy”
Minister Des van Rooyen on the situation in Vuwani
“If something had happened I would have called the police and the principal of the school but these voters seemed happy and there were no threats.”
Melville security guard, Lazarus Maboke, on voters being unhappy because voting was delayed due to a glitch with the ID scanner
We are just happy that the ANC was transporting voters to the polling stations on our behalf.
UDM’s Teboho Goniwe’s sarcastic response on allegations by the ANC that they were hijacking voters who had been transported to the voting station in taxis by the ruling party
