Hundreds of South Africans Cast Votes in Irvine

South African Digane Boikanyo walked out of a polling station here on Tuesday with a smile on his face and hope in his heart.

“I feel like a brand new penny today,” he said.

The balloting was remarkable on all accounts. Here was Boikanyo, 52 and black, voting for the first time in his life as part of his nation’s historic all-race elections, and he was casting his ballot halfway around the world from his country.

The Irvine polling place was one of seven such stations for the estimated 30,000 South Africans living in California. There are some 20 remote polling places throughout the United States, including Boston, New York City and Phoenix.

“I thought sometimes that this day would never come,” said Boikanyo, a Garden Grove resident who was exiled from his native country more than 25 years ago. “It is the greatest day of my life.”

Boikanyo was one of nearly 900 Orange County South Africans, most of them white, who went to Irvine City Hall to vote for a new government in their homeland.

After proving South African citizenship, voters were handed a ballot that included 19 parties and identified them with a small, black-and-white photograph of each party’s leader.

Since 25% of the black voting population in South Africa is illiterate, according to United Nations officials, the small pictures are included as a voter aid.

Among the many choices were Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress, and F.W. de Klerk’s National Party. Hidden among the big names were lesser-knowns such as the Soccer Party dedicated to sports and politics, and KISS, the Keep It Straight and Simple Party.

Though in Orange County voters had only Tuesday to cast their ballots, in South Africa balloting continues for three days. Whoever wins, the new government is pledged to repudiate racism and seek social justice through a multi-party democracy. The balloting marks the end of 300 years of white rule and four decades of apartheid.

“I think it’s really fantastic,” said Nigel Visser, a white South African who moved to Laguna Beach 10 years ago.

“I feel everyone has the right to participate in the elections. It’s a great day for South Africa and today marks the day for us to move forward,” said Visser, 42, a clothing maker.

“Viva the ANC!” said Gregory Lebona, a black South African, who strode jubilantly from the voting booth with his hands in the air.

“I am looking forward to a new South Africa,” said Lebona, a anatomy professor at a Johannesburg university who is attending a weeklong seminar in Anaheim. “It will bring peace to the country.”

Other voters do not share Lebona’s optimism.

“I think today marks the beginning of the end. South Africa will soon fall into revolution,” said Garry Purkiss, who is white. Because many different tribal groups harbor age-old hatreds toward each other, the elections will only serve to escalate the battle for power, said Purkiss, 41.

A Dana Point marketing manager who has lived in California for a decade, Purkiss said his sister and her husband left South Africa last week, fearing a bloody aftermath to the elections.

“It will take 10 years until the country normalizes,” Purkiss said.

All voters agreed, however, that Tuesday marked an irreversible change in the course of their homeland’s history.

Still elated after voting for the first time, Boikanyo walked with his arm around his son, Ben, dreaming of a better South Africa.

“I hope to return soon. I am so happy it’s hard to explain,” he said, leaving Irvine City Hall.

As he passed a group of white South African who were going to vote, one shouted to Boikanyo, “Saku bana, “ or “hello” in Zulu. Boikanyo waved and smiled.

“We all speak each other’s language. We are all one people now,” Boikanyo said.