Pretoria - While voting registrations were off to a slow start in Pretoria early this morning, by later in the day more and more people were turning up to register, check if their names were on the voters' roll or change their details.
Although there were no queues people were seen coming in and out of the voting stations, including 17-year-old Refilwe Mokoena who will be voting for the first time in the 2011 municipal elections.
The excited Mokoena told BuaNews that even though she did not yet know the names of the candidates she would be voting for, she was thrilled because she would be among those whose voice will be heard.
"I want my voice to be heard regarding the country's affairs, I will make sure that my vote goes to a person who is responsible and able to bring service delivery to our area."
Margret Khuzwayo, 45, a domestic worker in Garsfontein said she was disappointed that she would not be able to cast her vote in her rural area Nquthu in KwaZulu-Natal.
"We are still struggling back home with regard to service delivery, I was looking forward to casting my vote in my hometown, so that I will be able to make lot of noise until the person I voted for attend to our needs," she said.
However, she said her vote would help ensure that the right person is voted for in the Garsfontein area.
Provincial electoral officer in Gauteng, Simon Mamabolo, said voter registration had kicked off well in the province.
The only challenge was with the pitching of tents at some voting stations. The service provider that was initially tasked with erecting the tents in Pretoria, pulled out late on Friday.
Mamabolo said other arrangements were quickly made and by mid-morning on Saturday the situation had been resolved and the tents were up.
The youth formed a significant percentage of those who had turned up at voting stations so far and Mamabolo expected the rate of people registering to pick up later in the day and on Sunday.
"I want to encourage those young people who have not yet registered to take advantage of this opportunity to register to order to have their voices heard," he added.
