Maimane: We are watching you, IEC
DA leader Mmusi Maimane said his party was keenly observing the IEC's handling of the local government elections.
|||Pretoria - Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane on Wednesday said his party was keenly observing the Electoral Commission of South Africa's handling of the local government elections.
Addressing scores of reporters in Capital Park, north of Pretoria, Maimane said the DA had more than 100 000 volunteers watching the voting process.
“We are taking nothing for granted. Today the DA will have over 104 000 people volunteering for these elections. We want to watch, monitor the IEC. We want to assure South Africans that we are watching everything,” said Maimane.
“We have party agents in there. We have better presence than we have had before because I take nothing for granted. From the polling station I've voted at, from a process point of view, it seems that things have started off well. We are monitoring everything and I've got our entire legal fraternity waiting in line. We are leaving no stone unturned.”
Maimane accompanied the DA's Tshwane mayoral candidate Solly Msimanga into the voting station, at Capital Park primary school. Msimanga was with his wife Monde and 10-year-old son.
“I would like to be part of this moment (Msimanga voting). It is a historic moment. I was with Herman Mashaba this morning in Johannesburg after I voted in Johannesburg. I couldn't think of a better way of spending my time. I will be with Athol Trollip in the Nelson Mandela Bay in a couple of hours,” said Maimane.
A jovial Msimanga told reporters that he had done his best during an extensive campaign.
“Today the people are having having an opportunity to say whether they endorse what has been happening or they want to put in a new era that will deliver jobs and create opportunities for all the people of this capital city,” said Msimanga.
“I do not condone the attitude of some people who say I'm unhappy with a certain party so I won't vote. People died for this right to vote and our people should exercise that right so that at the end of the day, democracy will be the winner.”
African News Agency