#Elections2016: Didiza ‘happy ANC will retain Tshwane’
ANC mayoral candidate Thoko Didiza was all smiles as she joined a short queue at Kaya Beach voting station where she cast her ballot. [VIDEO]
|||Pretoria - ANC mayoral candidate for Tshwane Thoko Didiza was all smiles on Wednesday morning as she joined a short queue of about 20 people in Kaya Beach voting station in Grootfontein where she cast her ballot.
Dressed in a Mamelodi Sundowns T-shirt, Didiza told journalists at the station that she was confident the ANC would walk away victorious in the municipal elections.
Despite the City of Tshwane being a hotly-contested metro, Didiza expressed optimism about her party's victory and did not want to entertain the thought of a coalition government should the ANC fail to secure the majority win.
She was accompanied by the Tshwane ANC regional deputy chairman Mapiti Matsena and the Deputy Sports Minister Gert Ooshuizen.
At least 1758 electorates have registered to cast their ballots at the polling station in Grootfontein.
“It is important for South Africans to vote to exercise the rights they have fought for for many years, which I think brought us to where we are today where we have an inclusive society and we are working towards it.”
She said the local government elections were interesting because they afforded people a chance to express their views on the type of government they would like to lead them.
“Voting should be a way for South Africans to express themselves,” she said.
Asked if she was nervous about the unfavourable outcome, she said: “I am not nervous actually. I am happy that we have done a good campaign. I am happy that ANC will retain Tshwane. Everybody who fight the elections goes there because he or she wants to win.”
Oosthuizen said: “This is the democratic elections and we all campaigned very hard.”
He said that the ANC would undoubtedly clinch a victory in all the Gauteng metros such as Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.
After casting her vote, Didiza had a message to apathetic voters.
“To those people who are disgruntled for whatever reason, it is important to exercise your right to vote because through the ballot that when we decide on the party that must lead you. It is important because you express your voice about what you would want to see at the local level.”
According to the presiding officer the station opened on time and there were already 150 people who had voted before 8.30am.
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za
Elections Bureau