Johannesburg – The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa has announced the official results of the Local Government Elections that were held on Monday earlier this week.
IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo made the announcement at the state-of-the-art election results center based in Pretoria on Thursday evening. Mamabolo said the design of the ballot paper was clear and easy for voters to spot their political parties.
As the week went on since Monday, it saw many ups and downs for different political parties in South Africa, with some retaining metros, losing them to opposition parties, while some wards gained new councillors, with some electing for the same leaders in their areas locally.
The results which trickled in during the week showed that the ruling party of South Africa, the African National Congress suffered heavy losses since the inception of the democratic voting process in 1994.
Giving his remarks President Cyril Ramaphosa said, everyone has an equal right to run for public office. “This enriches our democracy and in many ways it also enriches us as the people. It advances openness and transparency, it affirms that we are a diverse and tolerant society. It affirms the principle that leaders must be chosen by the people and that leader should also be accountable to the people who choose them,” he said.
He further thanked the 12million South Africans who cast their ballots on election day. “By performing this important civic duty you have contributed to strengthening and consolidating our democracy and I’d like to congratulate all South Africans for holding an election that was peaceful, free and fair as also confirmed by our Independent Electoral Commission,” he added.
In the city of Joburg, the ANC secured the first position by 33.6%, followed by the Democratic Alliance with 26.47% and ActionSA with 16.05%,removing the EFF on the third position.
ANC deputy secretary general Jessie Duarte said that the decline in the ANC votes at this year’s local government elections is a message for the governing party to shape up.
Duarte conceded that the low voter turnout was indicative that people were disappointed in the ruling party.
Duarte, who was flanked by ANC elections head Fikile Mbalula and the party’s treasurer general Paul Mashatile, said the organisation has heard the concerns of the people.
“2021 local government elections have been amongst the most difficult elections we have contested as the ANC.
“It is raising alarm for the ANC that the low voter turnout, especially from the ANC’s traditional strongholds, communicated clear message that people are disappointed in the ANC with slow progress in ensuring consistency in providing basic service delivery and tackling corruption,” she said.
More alarm bells were rung for the ruling party earlier on Thursday, when it was announced that the ANC lost its outright majority in eThekwini, the only metro in KwaZulu-Natal for the first time since the dawn of democracy.
The electoral body announced that counting had been completed for the economic hub of the province. The ruling party slipped from 57% it received during the 2016 municipal elections to a paltry 42.2%.
Both the Da and the EFF emerged as the big winners with the DA coming in second place with 25.62% of the voter share while the red berets scored 10.48% with the IFP becoming the fourth biggest party in the metro receiving 7.13%.
2021 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT
Today, the Electoral Commission will announce the results of the 2021 Municipal Elections. #LGE2021
Follow the event on our Facebook page, YouTube, or watch the live broadcasts on @SABCNews @eNCA or @Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/SlH0DDdVoj
— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) November 4, 2021
HOW RESULTS ARE DECLARED
The overall election results are worked out at centralised election results operation centres (ROCs) under the control of the Electoral Commission: one national ROC based in Pretoria, Tshwane, and one provincial ROC in each province. pic.twitter.com/9jnhEyJG8j— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) November 4, 2021
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