PRETORIA (AFP) -- South African President Thabo Mbeki was among the first to cast his ballot on Wednesday in local elections that the African National Congress is expected to win despite a campaign marked by anti-government protests.

Polls opened at 7:00 A.M. (0500 GMT) in South Africa for the municipal elections, the second nationwide local vote to be held since the end of apartheid in 1994.

"Everybody in the country needs to understand the importance of local governments and the importance of having good councilors. So many things depend on what local government does," said Mbeki who was the first to vote at his local polling station set up in a marquee at Pretoria's Colbyn Park.

Mbeki appealed to voters to turn out for the elections to six metropolitan councils, 230 local and 46 district councils.

"I hope that all our people, all 21 million will come out to vote because we need a very strong and legitimate local government," he said.

"That's why I'm here at 7 am. I'm very keen. I hope that they turn out even if it rains. You can't say because it's raining today I'm not going to vote for a government that will be in power for the next five years," he said.

The ANC has cruised from victory to victory in elections since it swept to power in the first democratic polls in 1994 but this campaign has been marked by protests in townships and shantytowns over shortfalls in housing and lack of basic services.

The party has come under criticism for failing to fulfill promises of providing housing, electricity, water and sanitation in communities that were mostly deprived of such basic services under apartheid.