Pretoria - North West Premier Thandi Modise has applauded voters who came out in their numbers to exercise their democratic right in the national and provincial elections held on Wednesday.
“The high voter turnout in most areas and participation of first time voters shows confidence in participatory democracy. Beyond elections, we should sustain the enthusiasm though regular constructive engagements and feedback on implementation of government’s programmes of action in order to deepen our democracy,” said the Premier on Thursday.
She said the province had not received reports of employers denying workers the right to exercise their constitutional right to vote. “[We] wish to express our profound appreciation for the positive response to our earlier plea.”
Premier Modise added that the provincial government was determined to address all issues that were brought to its attention in the run-up to the elections, but cautioned that violent protests are not the answer to addressing issues that affect communities.
Meanwhile, Brand South Africa’s Board of Trustees has also extended its appreciation to South Africans for voting on Wednesday.
“We showed the world that, after 20 years of freedom, we remain a nation that is committed to our democracy as well and voted in our numbers yesterday. Brand South Africa expresses its appreciation and congratulates all citizens for playing their part to ensure the sustainability of our democracy,” Brand South Africa Chairperson Chichi Maponya said.
Maponya urged all citizens to continue to build a spirit of active citizenship that will be critical to ensuring that we all contribute to the growth and development of our country.
All eyes are on the IEC’s Results Operations Centre today as the results come pouring in. - SAnews.gov.za
