More than 1,200 South Africans voted at three polling stations in the United States, far fewer than the more than 4,200 voters in the country's national poll.
In New York, 635 votes were cast, far fewer than the 1,700 expected in the Big Apple. More than 400 votes were cast in Washington, D.C., compared to just 226 in Los Angeles.
Voters came from all over the region to cast their votes at the IEC polling station at the South African Consulate General in Manhattan.
Turnout was very low compared to London and The Hague, where voters had to queue for hours to cast their votes. That was not the case in New York, where steady footage arrived throughout the 14-hour voting day on Saturday.
Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., also had fewer voters than expected.
There was an atmosphere of jubilation as many voters arrived wearing their national colors and posting on social media, and some voters, including those from the Dominican Republic, traveled thousands of miles to New York to cast their votes. Many recognize the importance of this vote in the South African context.
But as SABC News' Sherwin Bryce Pease reports, the top concern for many South Africans is the NHI Bill, signed into law this week by President Cyril Ramaphosa, and the NHI Bill, which aims to improve good governance, crime, corruption and burdens. It was a relief.
US SA voter reaction
Isabella van der Reid, a South African voter, says: And what more hope could there be for the future? ”
She added, “We need to come together and think about better opportunities for the future. So voting is one way to do that. Everyone has their own beliefs. And… Everyone at home has to choose what is better for them.”
Fabian Pietersen, another South African voter, explains his reasons for voting: “I came out today because I think it's my responsibility as a South African who lives abroad and who has lived outside of South Africa for about 25 years, to understand that, you know, all the… things that can be done. is very important. Don't just talk about the problem unless you do something about it. So this is an opportunity to do something about it, but obviously we're relatively It's a young democracy. That's how I see it. And most of my international friends always tell me how young our democracy is, and that we certainly have a lot of problems. I think it's a good step in the right direction to have problems and work on things like this on a day like today.”
“I'm coming out today because I certainly came to America for opportunities and stuff, but my main goal has always been to go home. So, I'm going home, but I'm going back now. I want to speak out and speak out on issues that go back and forth. So I need a country that I believe can move forward and move forward. And I'm going to use my voice and I'm going to speak up for my vote. That means that,” argues Samukelisiwe Gumede.
Paul Johnson, who organizes events for the International Women's Forum, says South Africans had to vote. “We need new leadership. Conclusion. So I hope that if we all come together and vote, we can change our government to the point where we can expect something better.”
Victoria de Bruin, an SA voter living in the Dominican Republic, said: “There is no South African embassy in the Dominican Republic. Our choices were either Jamaica or Cuba. Since it had been a while since we had been to the Big Apple, we thought New York would be a better option.” Good. We want to see a change. I think safety, security, electricity. Those are normal concerns that everyone has, so we want to make a difference for them. Masu.”
“I live in Boston. I've been in America for the past five years. This is the first election I'm doing here. I think this is a really important election and I'm excited to vote. We thought it was important, the load shedding, the corruption, everything that's going on. I think this is a very important moment for us historically, probably the most important moment since 1994. New York is really expensive, but I thought it was worth the trip,” added Nick Kolev.
