Latest / Drive with John Perlman / Local Government Elections Update Anelitha Fandese

Transcript

Local Government Elections Update Anelitha Fandese · Drive with John Perlman

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Let's cross to our colleague, Annalita Fandese. She's in Broncospray
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: and she's at the voting station for Ward 102. Annalita,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: very good afternoon to you. What kind of ward is
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: Ward 102? Who lives there and in what kind of
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: numbers are they turning up to vote? Good afternoon.
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: Good afternoon, John. Well, the picture here in Brooklyn Sprint
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: has been quite telling. With the number of issues emerging
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: as residents make their way to the polls, one of
• 0:28
  Speaker 2: the biggest concerns has been ongoing water challenges in the area.
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: We've seen residents queuing for water while some voting stations,
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: like the one at 102, which is a primary school here,
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: have remained relatively quiet with little activity from voters. Now,
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: water insecurity is a major talking point. This also follows
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: Tuanumea Nasipi Moya's warning to residents not to drink tap
• 0:53
  Speaker 2: water amid concerns about its safety.
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it really is a town that found itself in
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: the spotlight ahead of the elections. What else, because you've
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: been around to different parts of Broncospray today, Annalita, I mean,
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: what's your sense of levels of enthusiasm, but also levels
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: of optimism where people, you know, may believe that a
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: vote might make a difference or not?
• 1:23
  Speaker 2: There's been, I think the sentiment is rather voter apathy
• 1:27
  Speaker 2: towards the electoral process here. This was the sentiment that
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: we got yesterday when we came to scout out the
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: scene to sort of see what the feeling is and
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: the sentiment is among the public. Beyond the water crisis,
• 1:38
  Speaker 2: unemployment has also emerged as a common concern, particularly among
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: the older residents that we've spoken to. They say that
• 1:45
  Speaker 2: despite the presence of factories and industrial activities in the region,
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: many young people still remain unemployed. Other residents have raised
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: concerns about alleged nepotism in the recruitment processes, claiming that
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: getting a job often depends on who you know rather
• 2:01
  Speaker 2: than your qualifications. So a lot of voter empathy here,
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: not much enthusiasm. Voting stations both in the town area
• 2:09
  Speaker 2: and the township, Ezi Tobe, as such, both fairly empty.
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: And Alita, in terms of a possible sort of late rush,
• 2:20
  Speaker 1: you know, I'm going to go and vote this evening,
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: you know, partly because I expect the crowds to be less,
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: but also, you know, that's just the way my day
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: has played out. Or do you get a sense from
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: IEC officials in the day that it's not really going
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: to get much busier?
• 2:37
  Speaker 2: I don't think there's an expectation for it to peak
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: any time soon. It hasn't peaked throughout the day in
• 2:44
  Speaker 2: any of the sessions that we've been through throughout today.
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: There are also residents who have chosen not to participate
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: in today's elections. Some have told us they've lost faith
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: in the electoral process, arguing that political parties make promises
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: ahead of elections but fail to deliver once they take office.
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: A few elderly women also indicated that they would have
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: rather been used a day, rather, to access their salsa
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: grounds than stand in queues to vote. So while political
• 3:11
  Speaker 2: parties are hoping to secure support here in Broncos Bridge,
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: the message coming through from the ground is that people
• 3:17
  Speaker 2: want more than just campaign promises. They want reliable access
• 3:21
  Speaker 2: to water, for example, employment opportunities for young people, and
• 3:25
  Speaker 2: ultimately better service delivery.
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: Thanks so much. Anlita Fandesa, keeping an eye on things
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: in Broncos.