My vote is for my children's future, says Eldos resident

Residents of Eldorado Park, south of Johannesburg, braved the cold Wednesday morning to line up to cast their ballots.

By 7am, more than 40 people had arrived at the Cavendish Primary School voting station.

Some in the queue expressed excitement, saying they hoped their vote would bring about change. 

The first in the queue was Ruvaine Lucas, 38, who arrived at 4.45am.

“The reason I got here early is because I also want to go to work today. I wanted to be the first to vote. I want to have a say in our country's future. I am one of those who wants to have a better future and one way of doing that is by putting my mark down for the person I feel can run this country better,” he said.

Lucas said he hoped to see more sustainable jobs that could get people out of poverty and he hoped there would be equal opportunities for everyone in SA.

Another resident, Penny Sutton, who has been living in Eldorado Park for the past six years, said the area was deteriorating on a daily basis.

Sutton said the last time she voted was in 1994 and since then no party managed to convince her to vote. But she was now worried about the country's education system.

“We have a drug problem. Our children are all on drugs, they don't go to school and they need education because they are the future of tomorrow. Our education system is not up to standard because I have children that I help to read and some of them are going to high school next year and they can't read,” she said.

“We need somebody that can look after our children. Young children are involved in gangsterism because they see this as the life because gangsters drive fancy cars.”

Charlotte Minnar, 52, said she needed her political party of choice to assist in eradicating poverty, unemployment and crime.

“My vote is cast for my children and great-grandchildren and the reason for the change that we need is that we can't live in poverty,” she said.

“We can't live in crime, we can't live where the government makes false promises and promises us R350. Give me employment so that I can do with my salary what I want to do and not with the R350 which you take from the taxpayers and act [as] if it belongs to you. We are tired of crime, we are tired of illegal activities in our communities as well as in the government.”

Chabalalaj@sowetan.co.za