Ailing and elderly and convinced that this could be her last chance to vote for her country, Lenie Pauw cried when the officials at the ACVV polling station in Forest Hill told her there was something wrong with her identification document.
From the aroma of boerie rolls wafting in the air to the sound of music playing in the background, the South African gees was palpable as Nelson Mandela Bay residents, some armed with camping chairs and cups of coffee, made their way to voting stations.
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Eager to make their mark and hopefully usher in a new government, friends and first-time voters Ruby Kievit and Ashleigh-Faye Nortje were up early to queue at the Newton Technical High School.
Glitches with malfunctioning voter management devices, voter rolls not in alphabetical order, long queues and stations opening late marred the first day of special voting in Nelson Mandela Bay.