Former City Mayor Hamilton Green says he wants to see young people take over the management of the City so that there can be progress. Green told reporters this morning after casting his ballot at the Enterprise Primary School Durban Backlands that “at last democracy has been emancipated”.

“It is a good day for me and I leave graciously, deliberately and hope that someone else will take up the mantle to continue the restoration of Georgetown. We have been suffocated for 21 years and I think it is time that we move forward and the evidence is there that we are moving forward.”

Green, who was the longest serving Mayor in the history of the Municipality of Georgetown, described the voting process as “very smooth and interesting”.

Meanwhile, former Deputy Mayor for the Municipality of Georgetown, Patricia Chase- Greene told reporters after voting at the Tucville Primary School that she is not bothered by what appears to be a low voter turnout this morning.

She said she does not believe the day should have been declared a holiday to boost the number of persons who will vote.

“Persons will come out to vote, I have been able to vote at a LGE before, there is always a very low turnout and the people always come trickling in but I am quite certain before the day is over persons will come in.”

Asked why she believes persons will “trickle in” Chase-Greene said persons are generally less interested in Local Government Elections (LGE) as they believe that voting at the General Elections is enough.

“It is never important to some people. In this local government elections there may be hype, it still needs to be catch on… people still need to catch on that they have a voice in their community and they need to elect someone to be that voice in your community to speak out.”

The former Deputy Mayor believes that more needs to be done to educate the masses about Local Governance.

“There should be some more education on LGE…it should continue because this election is every 3 years and General elections is every 5 years. Between now and the next 3 years, there should be workshops again so people would have that interest and build that hype and interest in LG once again.”

She believes notwithstanding that lack of education on LGE, the next one will attract more persons.

“In the future people will start coming out and appreciate what it is to be a leader in your community where you can determine what are your priorities and what you’d like to have done,” she said.

Chase- Greene has served as a Councillor for 22 years and as deputy Mayor for approximately four years.

Asked why she believes she should contest the elections after serving for many years on the City Council, Chase-Greene said she has the confidence of the voters.

“I have been the voice in the City Council for many years. Had it not been for myself and other councils like Mayor Greene there would not have been a local government elections a day like today because the previous government was stifling the city council.”

She explained that the majority of the roles and responsibilities of the City Council were stripped by the former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Administration.

“We were at a point of debt. They had taken away almost all of the responsibilities…and all we would have been left there with if we didn’t protest was a skeleton.”