Anna Majavu

Anna Majavu

A confident Helen Zille arrived at her polling station in the upmarket suburb of Rondebosch early in the morning, accompanied by her husband and two sons.

Wearing a striking bright purple jacket, Zille said people had to vote DA if they wanted to "stop Jacob Zuma and prevent a criminal state".

"Zuma is what is negative in South Africa.

"We are saying stop Jacob Zuma to save the Constitution," she said.

Zille said she was confident that the DA would win Western Cape outright, but Independent Democrats leader Patricia de Lille said: "I certainly feel that there will be a coalition again."

Speaking outside the Pinelands Town Hall polling station after casting her vote, De Lille said:

"There are still a lot of people who were undecided as late as yesterday [Tuesday]. The province can go any way.

"What will help today is the party that will bring people out to the voting stations," she added.

Finance Minister Trevor Manuel was one of the first people to cast his vote at Westerford High School in Cape Town, accompanied by his wife, Absa boss Maria Ramos, early in the morning.