Orania votes 'enthusiastically'

2006-03-01 16:20

Bloemfontein - Residents of the Afrikaner community, Orania, in the Northern Cape had been voting enthusiastically throughout Wednesday, said an Orania Movement spokesperson.

Eleanor Lombard said the voting was in full-swing by 14:00 and taking place in a very convivial atmosphere.

The conservative Afrikaner community, which supports the Freedom Front Plus, is voting only on district proportional representation.

It is not participating the vote for ward councillors or proportional representation at council level.

It was reported earlier that the community had decided not to contest the local government election, pending an agreement with the government on self-determination.

"Voting now for wards and for the council PR list would be like throwing in the towel," Lombard said, but adding that it was not a boycott in a "negative" sense.

She said internet voting for people overseas was going smoothly, referring to a private election for an eight-member representative council "to negotiate with the ANC in future".

"Our 'uitwoners' (people not living in Orania) are voting excellently. We have votes coming in from the USA, England, Canada, New-Zealand, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands," said Lombard.

Orania has been struggling for self-determination since 1994.

It was amalgamated into a single municipality with Hopetown and Strydenburg before the last local government elections, but objected to the move.

Lombard said Wednesday's private election should not be confused with that for the town's management committee. "That takes place another time," she said.

There were 14 candidates for the representative council, including four not resident in Orania.

- SAPA