By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) expressed gratitude to incident free special voting that took place between 17 and 19 May 2024 in 111 countries across the world.
The Commission said the arrangements would not have been possible without the support of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the dedication of the department staff and heads of missions around the world.
On Saturday, around 800 South Africans were making their mark at South Africa’s House of Trafalgar Square, every hour.
The queue to reach the polling booth inside was around three hours long – some wore Springbok jerseys, otherrs, green African National Congress (ANC) bucket hats, or blue Democratic Alliance (DA) stickers.
The deputy high commissioner for South Africa in the United Kingdom, Dineo Matlhako, “We have 70 staff working inside South Africa House and 20 people working outside. This is the highest deployment at any voting station.
“The highest deployment you’d have in South Africa is 35 people, so we are working very hard in London to make sure that all 24,000 registered voters vote today.”
The mission in London is the only voting station that will remain open on Sunday in order to cater for all registered voters who are registered and approved to vote at that mission.
IEC Chairman Mosotho Moepya said appreciation is due to voters who sometimes had to endure intemperate weather, wait in queues for extended periods, and travel significant distances.
“In many stations, a steady flow of voters was reported throughout the day, with some missions only closing two hours beyond their scheduled operating hours.
“Notwithstanding, voters still expressed gratitude on social media and other platforms for the seamless voting experience and level of service they received at stations,” he said.
Moepya said this is a testament to the meticulous logistics, planning, and execution of those plans across all missions.
“The mission in London is the only voting station that will remain open on Sunday, 19 May 2024, until 21h00 to cater for the more than 24 000 voters who are registered and approved to vote at that mission, “he said.
The Commission confirmed that special voting abroad proceeded smoothly with no major incidents overall.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) said the high voter turnout overseas showed that South Africans realised the importance of the 2024 elections.
DA Global Chairperson Ludre Stevens thanked those living abroad for coming out to vote.
“In Canberra, Australia, one of the first stations to open, hundreds of South Africans stood patiently to make their mark. Europe, Africa, and the Middle East followed a few hours later where queues have gathered around city blocks in cities like London and The Hague.”