On the 27th April 1994, I woke up very early to vote. I was so overcome by excitement that I ran to the voting station to cast my vote with so much joy but today was different. I was reluctant to vote because of my disappointment in the leaders of the ANC. I felt that they let me down as a citizen. I believe that they have lost the moral compass. When we fought the system of apartheid we had a common goal of freedom. It seems that our elected officials have only their own interest at heart, they have forgotten about freedom. We are not free while people are poor and unemployed. We are not free until people have decent housing. We are not free while people are dying of hunger. Today was very emotional, I was moved to tears as I walked out of the voting station. Today was the first time I did not vote ANC. My vote today was a protest vote. I protested against greed, nepotism and corruption.

I don't even know what will happen in South Africa if the ANC win the election. In my area today, a suspect was caught with voting ballot that was already marked ANC!!! Which means curruption has already started. What is going to be the future of our Youth. I think people should vote wisely according to our formal president Tabo Mbeki.

Can todays vote change the life of South Africans citizens?

Hamilton Wende says South Africans are ".....still believing that their vote can make a difference to the country they now share". That may well be so, but by voting for Jacob Zuma and what he stands for they are speeding-up the advande of sub-Saharan distress and hardship to a prosperous country in danger of sinking to the level of Zimbabwe.

It is so beatiful that they can demonstrate democracy and that your vote do count unlike most african country where democracy is said and not being practised.kenya should follow and zimbabwe should implement.a dream that i believe is gonna happen if we leave our interest aside.am tired of black colony

I know exactly how you feel. South Africa, as a country, has a long road ahead in terms of addressing the inequities of the past, improving access to health care and education and much more. Yet, we vote. We are allowed to speak our mind and criticise a government that we have elected. Our neighbours and brothers on this continent (and elsewhere) are not this lucky. The demolition of Iraq has shown us that we as South Africans have come far too. We have many issues to address-but we have a system of governance that gives us the potential to do that.

It was only my second time to vote-and it was just as emotional as the first.

Thank you for this article.

Long live freedom, democracy and justice in South Africa!!

i am happy that south africa and other african countries e.g nigeria which is my owm country, are getting on with democracy. i hope the future is goin to be better.

I voted yesterday and will do so for as long as i live.

Chris Hani never got the chance to do so, neither did OR Tambo. every time i cast my ballot i pay homage and give thanks them and many others who gave their lives so i may live a better life in a land where i can realise my potential regardless of the colour of my skin or the company i keep.

Every South African should ask himself one question at the end of each day, "What have i done today to make South Africa a better place?"

i might not have done much yesterday, but i went out and voted...

I thank South Africans for raising agaist all odds to cast their votes.Believe me you what they are doing is the expression of their views as far as it concern their morality,freedom of choice,understanding of direction the Country is heading and lastly the future of their Country in these thriving Economic global crisis.We are watching these election with critical eye because it explains African way of doing things...we have witnessed Zimbabwe,Kenya and Ghana and soon Botswana will follow.

What a wonderful country. I chose to vote at 7pm so as to avoid the long lines... there were still long lines and we all enjoyed the clear crisp African evening together.

This article and many of the comments hold a lot of emotion. A lot has changed and what has been accomplished is extrordinary.

Late yesterday i decided to go cast my vote, i was undecided on who to vote for until around 12H00. I looked at all the candidates who campaigned for the presidency. I asked myself who knows what South African really want, who can say to the poor i have been in your shoes, i understand what you going through. I looked at all politicians' background. The ANC president was the only person who i could identify these qualities with. He did show some poor judgement in his life but i'm convienced he understands the poor and he is humble enough and listens to the people.
I have decided to support this man who is faced with a big challenge to bring people together if he is to succeed in his presidency.

Thank God the chairman of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), the body responsible to handle elections in Cameroon is out there in South Africa to see how things are going. I pray he learns and comes back with better ideas to salvage my beloved country.

MY ANC, MY VOTE!

It was only my second time voting yesterday and it sure was very liberating and I do not believe my vote has been wasted. I am not going to profess that the government has done everything to liberate our people from the economical shackles the people are still in, and as the ANC party campaign insists "together we can still do more" which I believe is a positive and encouraging statement that can only foster and entrench our democracy by ensuring that the gains made in the last 15 years are preserved and where there are challenges the country vigorately and swiftly addresses these.

I don't think it is of significance for anyone to be negative and start preaching doom so early in our democracy...i think the best we can do is to make sure that wherever we are, we are champions of democracy and ensure that our people trully benefit from the fruits of our hard-fought liberation.

The other thing that needs to happen is that our opposition should starting focus on their role as "monitor" of our democracy and trully move out of the quagmire of petty personal politics 'cause that's not going to work with the masses. i believe they should start focusing on their deliverables and ensure that wherever they are, people see them as the 'real alternative', which unfortunately is not happening.

I very greatful for objective journalists like HW who's persistance for clear-cut news reports will continue to serve as ambassadors for South Africa, a country who's democratic success will even amaze the 1st world for generations to come.

I felt proud to vote in a free, fair and peaceful South Africa on the 22 April 2009. this shows there's still hope for other African countries afterall.

VIVA Peace-Protection-Prosperity VIVA.

Africa will yet again be the solution to humanity.

Having voted for the second time, I can't express my joy well enough. As I was preparing to go to the polling station, I realised that so many people have never had the chance to vote. Putting an X next to my party, I just realised how priviledged I am as a young person, to cast my vote with no fear of being intimidated. I thought of my parents who didn't have the privileges and opportunities that I'm currently enjoying in the democratic South Africa.

To all the people who lost their lives, fighting for democracy, I say, your efforts were not invain.

To the detractors of democracy, I say Rome was not built in one day. Let's not forget that when the ANC government took over, it inherited a lot of problems that are taking time to resolve.

To the ANC leaders, don't forget about the people who put you in leadership positions. Much work still needs to be done in the rural areas.

I look forward to the next five years of effective and visible service delivery....

Halala South Africa, Halala!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

for me i think this election will remind the south African that there is still much to do concerning what the great fathers like Nelson Mandela and others has fought for in their life, south African will not let those effort be in vain,Joseph Zuma should take up the balna where they stoped and continue from there. for me as a Nigerian i think African is time to stand and declear our stnd and our worlth in the global democratic map.

this was my fourth time voting and the excitement hasn't left me yet as i know how important my vote is and that it counts.We have come so far as a nation and so many of our fellow countrymen still take for granted what the great men and women who fought the apratheid regime had to endure for us and generations to come and still most of them never got to see or enjoy this WONDERFUL FREEDOM.It is still hard but South Africa is the place to be,we are really lucky and Thank you everyone for voting,it doesn't matter who you voted for,you still voted.I wish our Country peace,wealth and prosperity.
Manti
Proudly South African

Democracy is a gradual process in developing countries, so south african should try to understand that is not a sudden acheievement. if u look back years before they had indepedence then they will realise that they will be patience wit time.Imagine Iraq suicide bomding, Afghan,and other countries of unrestiveness then south african will forgive d leaders that they have vote and failed and still want to continue on the path of democracy.

expect individual remove selfishness and corruption from their mind, and show sign of positive thinking towards democracy that how we aAfrican can move our country ahead wit time.we should always think of what we can do for our country to move ahead than be stagnat and waiting for our to move us.

We can do more with d undrstanding dat our votes represent us i was 4 once happy &beleive in democracy when i see d long queues dat is 2 say africa is moving with d tide.but i hope my bluv country nigeria can just copy em (no ballot boxes but there r results)hurra! !! !!!

i waited for three hours on the que to vote, and the weather was freezing, but i was never going to give up untill i put that X.South Africans have a lot of differences but are united by the national flag.
the National flag represent everyone who is a South African, my vote was for the red on the flag, which stands for the blood that was lost durring the struggle to liberation, my vote was for the likes of Solomon Mahlangu, Tsietsi Mashinini. their dream to have a democratic country is been realised.

Voting is not whom u know but is all about who will take u to the promise land. So they shd think about S. African and African as a whole because they shd not for get that the whole wide world is watching them and then again they shd not also forget that S. Africa is hosting the world cup in 2010.

i feel happy that A.N.C has won. infact i anticipated the victory when Mandela stood up 4 A.N.C. i know it very well that S.A is nothing without A.N.C, it has never failed the country, S.A is a vast country with many tribes but its like consist of 1tribe

I've read on someone's blog that people nowadays vote ANC or ABA (Anything but ANC). I chose the latter option.

Even voting for a minority party is still better than not voting.

In 1994 I was a few months shy of being 18 and I was so very dissapointed that I could not vote. Yesterday I was not as excited. I am happy that the elections went so brilliantly but I am weary of my leaders, I do not feel inspired by them. Had this Cope thing not shown up, the ANC would not have had such a great show. but that is all is was, a show. I really hope they understand that we are slowly losing hope in them.

But as a South African, always looking for them silver linings....

Whether ANC wins or not, one thing has been established in my mind: mandela has [whittled] the admiration I have for him. Why on earth would he be present in the rally of ANC?

My ANC, My Future – The people have spoken!

At which point did Zuma become such a beast that everyone is so afraid of?

The people have spoken, let us respect that.

I loved reading this. Because it stands for change. It stands for a world in motion. How many can remember ever thinking, "Not in my lifetime.." And yet, these stories should inspire us to believe that change CAN happen. It's never fast enough when it comes to human rights because every day – until THAT day – humans are not being fairly treated. But let it serve as inspiration of what we HUMANS can achieve. Nobody chose where they were born. I am proud....so proud to be Canadian. The more I travel the world, the more I know what being Canadian means. But I do not for a second imagine that I am better than a person from somewhere else. I do believe that I may have been born into a society that better allows me to be an agent of change. And those like me, we have a responsibility to help those who are less enabled to be voices of equality. That in itself is a questionable philosophical statement – but they're the best words I have. Be the change.

It seems some white South Africans have still not come to terms with the reality of one man one vote for all the races, they seem to to want the days of Apartheid to come back, the days of white privilege. When they talk of high crime rates in South Africa now, they tend to forget that the rates were only low during Apartheid because crime visited upon blacks in black areas are not reported.

good or bad democracy is still better than any form of dictatorship.SA people should be bold and vote for the man of their choice and with patience & determinations(millitancy without hostility),we shall reach the promise land.

I wish we could measure the extent of happiness that ahuman usually has in such great moments!whenever i see brothers and sisters jubilating in their way goin 2 vote for the president of their own choice,after along journey they have worked,i still believe there is light at the end of the tunnel for South Africans and even more especially for other countries in this black continent.

How i love to be ablack African,and am proud to a Ugandan too,THE PEARL OF AFRICA despite some gov'ts that have tried to put Uganda in shambles but we still have hope that at one time will stand like South Africans and cast our votes without being whipped or intimidated or even vote for u.

South Africans,i pray 4 u that yo votes will not be wasted and let democracy be exhibited becuase i look back u have like the mouth piece of democracy in this Continent i love most!!!

And world cup is in the mind of every African!!!see u there!!!

Long Live Africans Long Live Democracy

it should be noted that for the past several years the people of south africa have experienced their dark history under the Apertheid movement. With the help of former president Nelson Mandela's triumphant message of hope , they were able to stage a different chapter in one of Africa's multi racial country.with Zuma's election, we can be assured that the tradition of democracy and freedom will be brought to the people once called slaves.