Jude Sheerin, April 22, 2009

Welcome to our live coverage of South Africa's general election. We will bring you news, insights from our correspondents and the best of Twitter, your e-mails and the blogs. (All posts South African Standard Time, GMT+2)

Mengistu, Centurion texts: Have just cast my vote in freezing conditions - it was worth the effort. Fantastic to vote for the fourth time. Yeeha!

Gerrit Penning, Free State e-mails: I'm currently standing in a voting queue here in Bloemfontein on a chilly, windy autumn day. People are quite relaxed at this polling station, chatting around with smiles on their faces! Let's hope for the best results... More of your comments

 

1307 The BBC's Karen Allen at a polling station in a Johannesburg township says: The issues here are unemployment, crime, education and health. Some people are prepared to give the ANC more time but others will vote for change.

 

1301 The BBC's James Fletcher, in Port Elizabeth, says: The sky has darkened here and it looks like it is about to pelt down with rain, but the queues are still long. We left our citizen reporter Asanda queuing in New Brighton township, after she'd been standing in line for over an hour. Read Asanda's report

 

• See locations of BBC correspondents

1256 Graham in Johannesburg texts: At at polling station in the suburbs north of Johannesburg. The queue is moving slowly but everybody is relaxed enjoying the autumn sunshine as we all wait to cast our ballot.

 

1254 The BBC's Mpho Lakaje says: When Jacob Zuma turned up to vote in Nkandla, there was a festive atmosphere, women ululating, reaching out to touch him. Also present was ex-Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is heading up the group of African poll observers.

 

tally1302 tweets: Waiting in line to vote. It's a good place to meet new people. Everyone happy and friendly despite long queues...

1225 "When I grew up, I did know that this day would come," 67-year-old Zuma said as he cast his vote, reports AFP news agency. "This makes me feel great and it's a feeling far different from the one that we had under the apartheid government."

The BBC's Mohammed Allie near Cape Town says: The mood is quite festive with party vehicles driving around and using loud-hailers to urge people to vote for them. The polling station I visited in Khayelitsha is a basic corrugated iron structure.

Mzwandile ka Swazi, Johannesburg e-mails: I'm definitely going to vote for the least corrupt government that South Africa has ever had, namely the ANC. I will be ensuring that the party gets a two-thirds majority in order to undo the many evils of the past. More of your comments

 

1210 Desmond Tutu, no longer a big fan of the ANC and a vocal critic of its leader Jacob Zuma, has also cast his vote in Cape Town. The South African Archbishop said enigmatically: "I feel good but it isn't like the previous elections. That is true of so many people who are having to ask questions."

Andrew Wolff, in Durban, e-mails: Sure the ANC will win. They brought the country out of apartheid. But the liberation is over. Poverty and ignorance still imprisons the majority. People are not free and will not be free until the country embraces a leader with morals and scruples.

1155 Winnie Mandela has voted in Soweto with her arm in a sling. She said: "I don't really think about the opposition, it's good that they are there, if the party is unchallenged for too long it can get too high-handed." She was then swept away by shades-clad bodyguards.

Yusuf, from Sandton, Johannesburg, e-mails: I will be voting in an attempt that the ANC do not win a 2/3 majority again. Many people who are fed up of the ANC just choose not to vote instead of voting for another party, and I urge such people to please VOTE for anyone apart from the ANC!

Stefan van Niekerk, Alberton, near Johannesburg, e-mails: After the emergence of the new party, Cope, the ANC got a big fright and started marketing like crazy. It seems like there is not a lamp-post in the country that does not have an ANC poster attached to it. More of your comments

 

1136 Jacob Zuma is casting his vote in his home village of Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal.

1119 The BBC's Orla Guerin says: If the ANC loses its two-thirds majority, it won't be able to roll into parliament and use it as a rubber stamp anymore. It seems the new Congress of the People party can only increase its share of the vote, at ANC expense, as time goes on.

1109 The BBC's Jonah Fisher in Johannesburg says: Queues snaking round the block in Yeoville area. Voters seem energised by emergence of Congress of the People party. It looks set to take 10-15% of the vote, which would have a substantial impact on the ANC majority.

1050 The BBC's Mpho Lakaje says: I'm in Jacob Zuma's rural home village of Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal. He's expected here in under an hour. Big queues at local polling station, most voters for Zuma, but some complaining about not having water or electricity and the state of the roads.

1025 The BBC's Martin Plaut in Cape Town adds: Some students say they were inspired to vote by Barack Obama, as he had shown change was possible.

Daniel Munslow, Johannesburg, e-mails: For the first time since 1994 we are seeing fragmentation in the ANC, as the new Cope party is likely to take a small share of its voters. I hope this will usher in an era of greater accountability, transparency and moral rule. More of your comments

1015 The BBC's Martin Plaut in Cape Town says: Unverified reports from state-run SABC of two incidents: a polling official shot and wounded in Orange Free State and a case of ballot-box tampering in KwaZulu-Natal.

1010 The BBC's Karen Allen in Johannesburg says: There have been a few skirmishes in the township of Alexandra, where some protesters have been saying they won't vote until they get houses. Housing is a big issue in this election. Read more: 'One house, one vote'

Bhekukwenza Sibalukhulu, Johannesburg e-mails: I just voted and I am happy for the future of this country and Africa as whole. I hope my party will do as well as it did in the past 15 years especially because of what they've done for South Africa's poor. More of your comments

0946 The BBC's Andrew Walker in Soweto says: Former freedom fighter Mancoba Qubeka, 58, complains the ANC has done "dismally" on land reform. Buhle Sibeko, 19, says after voting ANC, he will go out and encourage his friends to vote for them too.

0945 For irregular viewers of South Africa's political soap opera, Thabo Mbeki quit as president last year after losing a power struggle with Jacob Zuma. In the bitter fallout, disaffected ANC members jumped ship and set up Congress of the People. I wonder if Mbeki voted for Cope. Let us know what you think.

0935  Former President Thabo Mbeki has cast his vote in Parktown, Johannesburg, saying: "People should vote for who they want, not out of fear, but for the party they believe will deliver the South Africa they want." Hardly a ringing endorsement for the ANC then! Journalists asked Mbeki who he voted for and he just laughed.

0917 The BBC's Martin Plaut in Cape Town says: The ANC is still expected to take at least 60% of the vote (it got 70% last time). But it is facing real opposition and it's likely Western Cape will become the first province since 1994 to be governed by a party (Democratic Alliance) other than the ANC.


0913 The BBC's Peter Biles in Johannesburg says: Former President Thabo Mbeki has just turned up to vote. No one really knows where he stands as he didn't come out and throw his weight behind the ANC during the campaign.

Derek Hart, Durban e-mails: This election has been about Zuma. The ANC supporters worship him, but there are millions of concerned South Africans who believe that the alleged corruption charges against should not have been withdrawn. More of your comments

0846 The BBC's Andrew Walker in Soweto says: It's a bank holiday and most of the voters queuing up are the middle-aged and elderly, young people seem to be still in bed. It's about a half-hour wait at the Orlando West polling station.

mylifescape tweets: Queue moving quicker than any bank queue I've been in. This is positive :) That's how we roll in Sandton.

0842 If you've just joined us, voting's been brisk so far, the leaders of the opposition Congress of the People and Democratic Alliance have cast their ballots. Still no sign of ANC leader Jacob Zuma, a man whose political musk seems to have made him bullet-proof to sex and corruption scandals that would have destroyed lesser politicians.

iankruger tweets: Long queues, will come back later armed with flask, munchies and warmer wear.

0830 Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille tells the BBC as she waits to vote in Cape Town: We are saying stop Zuma to protect the constitution and prevent a criminal state.

roxyburger tweets : In a cold queue in Jozi waiting to make my mark. My first election - exciting!

0757 The BBC's Nick Ericsson in Johannesburg says: Former President Thabo Mbeki is expected to cast his ballot soon in northern Johannesburg.

marknewlyn tweets: It is voting day!! The very fact that we get to vote should be celebrated! Please don't forget to make your mark!

0754 The BBC's Audrey Brown says: Opposition Congress of the People's presidential candidate Bishop Mvume Dandala has cast his vote.

0750 The BBC's Martin Plaut in Cape Town says: Polling stations have been open for 50 minutes in the university area of Rondebosch and the queues are mainly white, some first-time voters, predominantly Democratic Alliance supporters. DA leader Helen Zille is due to cast her ballot here soon.

0744 The BBC's Nick Ericsson in Johannesburg says: Voting started an hour early in one polling station in Alexandra township in the north of the city because of long queues - all going smoothly.

0741 The BBC's Peter Price in Port Elizabeth says: Surrounded by great atmosphere at this polling station - the hubbub of voters waiting to cast their ballots, birds singing and trains passing. A sound man's dream!

0733 Muhammad Peer, 20, a student at Cape Town University, texts: Even though I'm a card-carrying member of the ANC Youth League, I'm nevertheless still indecisive as to who I shall be voting for. The other option to voting is spending the day at the beach since no candidate has given me enough reason to vote.

jody23 tweets : I'm in the queue freezing my cheeks off, but I'm here!

0726 The BBC's Karen Allen in Johannesburg says: It is not yet clear if Congress of the People have been able to convince voters they will offer something different from the ANC, given that most of the new party is made up of former members of the governing party.

0724 A sweeping victory seems likely by the ANC, in power since 1994 and revered as the party that slew the apartheid dragon. It won a record 70% of the vote in 2004 with the Democratic Alliance a distant second on 12%. Congress of the People is expected to munch into the ANC's flank, but will the new kid on the political block help itself to a cub-like nibble or a lion-sized bite?

0721 The BBC's Andrew Walker in Soweto says: Short queues at Orlando West High School. Godwin Montombama, 32, got up at 4.30am to make sure he was first in line. "I will always be ANC," he said.

jody23 tweets: Alright South Africa, it's election day, time to make your mark that'll change history. Let's do this...

0709 In all, 26 parties are listed on the national ballot. But the pack leaders are: the governing African National Congress (currently has 297 seats in 400-member parliament); Democratic Alliance (47 seats); Inkatha Freedom Party (23 seats); and the new ANC breakaway party, Congress of the People.

Charles Machebele from Johannesburg e-mails: South Africans are proud of their country. Most of us are already at the voting station since 3am ready to vote. More of your comments

0700 South Africa's 20,000 polling stations are opening in what promises to be the nation's most compelling election since the end of apartheid. We'll be following the vote blow-by-blow up until the final ballot is cast at 9pm. More than 23 million of South Africa's nearly 50 million people have registered to vote.


Source: BBC