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The Democratic Alliance in the Emalahleni Local Municipality says it's hoping to improve its showing in this year's election by growing its percentage of the vote from 9% in 2011 local government election to 20% in Wednesday's election.
DA councillor, Pieter Greyling, says the currently run 17 Wards in the local municipality which is part of the Chris Hani District Municipality.
Greyling said that he cannot keep up with the DA branches in the rural areas of Emalahleni, adding that their goal is to do better in the Municipal elections in 2016.
He said "the youth are fertile ground for any political party. The DA keep their promises were the EFF are making unrealistic promises and creating expectations that will not be met. The youth are fashion conscious and the red beret is a fashion statement. I cannot keep up with the blue berets for the DA".
Greyling said it is impossible for the DA to monitor all the polling stations but they are working with opposition parties such as UDM and COPE to monitor stations.
He party agents will be monitoring the stations from 6am until 9pm when the voting closes. After that there will be reconciliations of votes and voter books and then the counting of the actual votes.
In Molteno, Inkwanca Municipality, calm has come about after violent protests.
DA Councillor, Magda Botha, said there's a heavy police presence and the army has been deployed to Molteno.
Botha said that Minster Naledi Pandor, State Security Minister, Siyabonga Cwele and Eastern Cape Local Government MEC, Mlibo Qoboshiyane, visited the area last week which has been identified as a hotspot after the Sterkspruit Civic Association called on residents not to vote.
The civic association has been leading a campaign for their own municipality saying they no longer want to be part of the Senqu Municipality.
On Monday, a school which will be used as a polling station in a village near Sterkspruit was torched in an arson attack. The incident has been widely condemned.
Qoboshiyane, who returned to Sterkspruit on Monday, warned that intimidation and violence will not be tolerated.
By Sharon Salmon
(Additional reporting by Algoa FM News)
