Premier Dukwana confident of outright victory for ANC in Free State

Free State ANC chairperson and premier Mxolisi Dukwana is confident of an outright majority win in the province after today’s first leg of special votes.

Dukwana has cast his vote at the Riebeeckstad Library in Welkom, Free State for the 2024 provincial and national elections.

Dukwana said the African National Congress [ANC] is ready to carry the country forward and that he is confident that the party will receive an outright majority.

After voting, the premier encouraged people of the Free State to use their democratic right to vote.

“Free Staters, today the 27th of Monday, I am here at Riebeeckstad Ward 10. I am here casting my vote. And I wish all of you to come in your numbers and exercise your right to vote. This is a very important responsibility that all of us have. Let’s exercise that authority, And elect both government, at national as well as the provincial level. We wish to have free, fair and peaceful elections”, says Dukwana.

Speaking to Kasi Voice News, Dukwana confirmed that he casted his vote for the ruling part, the ANC.

When asked if he thinks that the ANC will win the elections in Free State.

He said: “I believe that there is power in the tongue, and we should speak things into existence. With the support of our people we will win.

“We have made mistakes and we have learned from them. We are starting afresh to build the Free State. I believe that they will come in numbers to vote for the ANC,” expressed Dukwana.

With Free State expected to be one of the toughest battle grounds of these elections and may not see any party getting an outright winner, Dukwana warned that coalition governments don’t work.

South Africans will head to the polls on Wednesday, May 29.

IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi told journalists on Monday afternoon that by 2pm, more than 200 000 of the 1.6 million registered special votes had been cast at the country’s 22 000 voting stations.

Sheburi said that “factors external to the electoral programme” had prevented the operation of 107 polling stations in the OR Tambo region, because of a taxi strike and resultant violence in the Mthatha area.

A total of 435 polling stations out of 22 626 had experienced delays in opening, but only those affected by the disruptions at Mthatha had been unable to open at all, he said.