Emmaüs voters share hopes for George

GEORGE NEWS - While thousands of George residents headed to the polls on Wednesday 4 November, four residents of Emmaüs had already made their marks earlier in the week, with plenty on their minds about the future of their town and country.

On Monday 2 November, George Herald visited Emmaüs, a service centre for people with intellectual disabilities, where Willrique 'Wollie' Johannes (35), Heroldene Oktober (36), Granwill Willemse (29) and Abigail Fourie (25) had each cast their vote for the second time in their lives.

The Electoral Commission (IEC) facilitated the special voting process at the centre.

All four are aware of their intellectual disabilities and have strong opinions about the challenges facing their community.

Their concerns range from crime and corruption to the rising cost of living, but one issue stood out above all others: the safety of children.

Johannes expressed concern about alcohol abuse, violence against children and police corruption. He believes more must be done to protect vulnerable children.

Oktober shared her concerns, which includes slow police response times, rising food and fuel prices, and the need for cleaner streets. "Innocent children need better protection. We need the community's support to help children who are being abused and assaulted," she said.

Oktober decided to give another political party a chance this year, casting her vote for a different party than she had previously supported.

For Willemse, navigating the different ballot papers was initially a little challenging. "They were a bit confusing, but I managed. I wanted to vote for a different party, but couldn't find one I liked, so I stuck with the one I knew," he said.

Fourie, the youngest of the group, proudly said she had voted independently, without assistance.

Beyond election day, her greatest wish is for more people to discover what happens behind the doors of Emmaüs. "We do wonderful things here. We sew, do woodwork and cook. We would really love people to come and see what we do," she said.

With Emmaüs celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, this foursome has one special wish: for more people from George to visit the centre and discover the wonderful things its residents do and create. Photo: Michelle Pienaar