There was excitement in the air as Pretoria residents cast their votes at the Pheasant Hill Boutique Hotel at Doornkloof East, Pretoria, this morning.
Clad in a warm jersey and a coffee in one hand, Zelda Meyer from Irene, joined millions of voters who are making their mark today.
Meyer believes that voting is important regardless of who you are voting for. She told SAnews she was of the view that South Africa needs to grow the economy to create much-needed jobs, especially for the youth.
"Whichever party will be in power, they need to make a change and grow the economy."
The 60-year-old said she would also like to see a better working public health sector as the cost of living is skyrocketing and salaries shrink.
The Irene resident encouraged those who are still undecided about going to the voting station to do so, for their country.
"If you recycle one beer can, even that makes a difference. You might think it's just one beer can, but it adds to the manufacturing process..."
She expressed her gratitude to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) staffers and party agents for running the voting station well.
"It's efficient, it's quick. We had a small hiccup with the network but that was sorted out within 10 minutes."
Another resident, Sam Masha, from Pretoria East, said he was looking forward to exercising his democratic right to vote for his party of choice.
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"We're so privileged that we're able to vote because so much blood was spilled for us to be here today. I would never just sit at home, complain, and not come to vote. This is my right," he added.
Despite the challenges in the country, Masha was optimistic about the future.
"I'm happy about some of the progress, especially when it comes to corruption. Even though the wheels of justice are turning slow, there is progress that I see."
The 49-year-old said he would like to see a future with a functioning Eskom and for the load shedding to end indefinitely.
Eighteen-year-old Nsizwa Ngcobo from Soweto said he found it difficult to decide which party to vote for as a first-time voter.
His biggest dream for whichever leader wins the elections is that they will do the right thing and think about the youth's future.
"Every party has its pros and cons and I really hope my vote will count," he said.
