Elections

1 June 2024

Voter turnout at 58.57% in 2024 national elections

Location: News

Voter turnout at 58.57% in 2024 national elections

With more than 98% of votes in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections having being captured and validated, voter turnout for these elections is at over 50%.

The Electoral Commission’s 2024 National and Provincial Elections Results Dashboard placed voter turnout at 58.57 % as at 10:52 am on Saturday.

This as 98.42% of votes or 22 923 of 23 292 voting districts, having been completed.

South Africans voted in the seventh democratic elections on Wednesday, 29 May.

According to the dashboard, Gauteng currently stands with the highest voter turnout at 63.72%. The province had a registered population of 6,541,978 in these elections.

This as registered voters in completed voting districts (VDs) stood at 584,569 and the total votes cast in completed VDs stood at 372,465.

Gauteng was followed by the Northern Cape at 62.49 % and KwaZulu-Natal at 61.81 % to date.

The Western Cape is fourth at 58.09 %.

The other provinces stood as follows as at 10:26 am:

Free State 57.45 %
Mpumalanga 58.03 %
Eastern Cape 54.47 %
Limpopo 53.68 %
North West 51.82 %

Vote capturing and validation continues.

Voter turnout in the 2019 national elections was at 66.05 %. -SAnews.gov.za

Neo
Sat, 06/01/2024 - 11:20

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1 June 2024

Over 97% of votes complete

Location: News

Over 97% of votes complete

More than 97% of votes, or 22 677 of 23 292 voting districts, have been completed, according to the Electoral Commission’s 2024 National and Provincial Elections Results Dashboard.

As at 8:20am on Saturday, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) results system showed that nationally, with votes being 97.39% complete, the African National Congress (ANC) had 40.11% of the votes, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 21.72%. The uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK Party) follows with 14.83%, while the Economic Freedom Fighters are fourth with 9.37%.

Other party results making up the top 10 are as follows:

Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) – 3.96%;

Patriotic Alliance (PA) – 2.04%;

Freedom Front Plus – 1.36%;

Action SA – 1.16%;

African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) – 0.6%, and

United Democratic Movement (UDM) – 0.49%.

Vote capturing and validation continue. – SAnews.gov.za

Matona
Sat, 06/01/2024 - 08:34

14551 views

1 June 2024

Government appeals for patience as results capturing underway

Location: News

Government appeals for patience as results capturing underway

Government has appealed to the public to remain calm as the counting and verification of votes by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in the National and Provincial Elections is underway.

“Citizens are encouraged to remain calm as this process unfolds. Vote counting is a rigorous process with various checks and balances by the IEC,” Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Acting Director-General (ADG), Nomonde Mnukwa, said on Thursday.

She said the length of the process depends on a range of factors including the number of votes cast and number of political parties contesting the ballot.

“The IEC is being transparent in the manner in which the results are being captured and verified to ensure the integrity of the electoral processes is not compromised. The results are also audited by independent auditors and then released on the results system for political parties, observers and the media.

“Parties themselves can verify the captured results against their copy of the original results slip to ensure accuracy. Objections can be directed to the Electoral Commission in terms of Section 55 of Electoral Act and decisions of commission can be appealed at the Electoral Court,” the ADG said.

By law, the election results must be declared within seven days after an election. The official election results will be announced by the IEC and this period ends on 5 June 2024.

“Government reminds South Africans that the IEC is the only institution legally mandated to announce the election results. No other institution, analyst, political party or commentator has the legal directive to communicate the final outcome.

“We call on all stakeholders to exercise caution in prematurely proclaiming the results. The IEC declaration of results is a statutorily requirement that formally ends the election. The process will then shift to the National Assembly,” Mnukwa said.

Following the declaration of election results, members for the National Assembly are designated by the Electoral Commission, and the lists are handed by the commission to the Chief Justice of the Republic of South Africa, who then hands them over to Parliament through the Secretary of Parliament.

“Before Members of the National Assembly perform their functions in the Assembly, they must swear or affirm faithfulness to the Republic and obedience to the Constitution, in accordance with Schedule 2 to the Constitution.

“The President of the Republic is the last to be elected by the House because the Assembly must be duly constituted first in order to exercise its power to elect the President. The Chief Justice also presides over the election of the President,” the ADG said.

The election of the President, who is chosen among the Members of the Assembly, is conducted by the Chief Justice of the Republic.

“Our role as active citizens does not end with voting; we are called to work together to move our nation forward. As a young democracy we have come a long way in our 30 years of freedom and democracy, and government remains committed to working together with all citizens to build a better tomorrow for all,” she said.

Mnukwa said South Africa’s seventh democratic general elections are an affirmation of the maturity and strength of the country’s democracy.

“It signifies the vibrant commitment of the people to advancing our freedom and democracy. The citizens have honoured their civic responsibility to make their voices heard by freely voting for the party or candidate that best represents their interests and aspirations for our country,” the ADG said. – SAnews.gov.za

nosihle
Fri, 05/31/2024 - 09:29

662 views

1 June 2024

Appeal for ballot box to be returned

Location: News

Appeal for ballot box to be returned

The Electoral Commission (IEC) has appealed to the citizens in and around uMhlathuze Ward 14, in KwaZulu-Natal, to be on the lookout for an IEC branded ballot box, which went missing in transit from the voting station at Matamzana Dube School to the municipal electoral office for storage.

“The ballots in the box have been counted, reconciled, and validated. The Electoral Commission is required, by law, to store ballots cast in general elections for a period of six months.

“Furthermore, the IEC appeals to anyone who finds the ballot box to return it to us,” said the commission said in a statement.

The IEC reminded South Africans that anyone found to be in possession of ballots was liable to criminal prosecution. – SAnews.gov.za

GabiK
Fri, 05/31/2024 - 09:58

538 views

1 June 2024

Results update: ANC leads most provincial votes

Location: News

Results update: ANC leads most provincial votes

With the second day of vote counting in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections still underway, the African National Congress (ANC) is currently taking the lead and continues to secure most of the votes in most provinces, except in KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.

As at 11:45am on Friday, the leaderboard at the National Results Operation Centre (ROC) in Midrand, showed that the ANC was leading the votes in the Eastern Cape with 739 564, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) at 138 958, and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) at 109 630.

A total of 67.65% vote capturing and processing had been completed in the Eastern Cape, including 3 293 of 4 868 voting districts completed.

The ANC was also taking a lead in the Free State with 336 267 votes, followed by the DA with 135 814, and EFF at 84 928. A total of 82.79% vote capturing had been completed in that province, including 1 313 of 1 586 voting districts completed.

In Gauteng, the ANC was leading with 663 401, DA 580 761, EFF 253 632, while the new kids on the block, Umkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party had secured 186 219 votes.

In Limpopo, the ANC had secured 530 882, EFF 91 411, and the DA 45 028. Limpopo had captured 47.57% votes including 1 530 of the 3 216 voting districts completed.

In the North West, a total of 58.295 votes had been captured, including 1 013 of the 1 738 voting districts completed, which showed the ANC leading with 279 283, followed by EFF 80 090, and DA 56 638.

A total of 63.22% votes had been captured in Mpumalanga with 1 145 of the 1 811 voting districts completed. The ANC in Mpumalanga had 344 794 votes followed by MK with 125 646 votes, DA 97 156, and EFF 93 452.

Counting in Northern Cape is almost complete with 99.86% votes captured, including 729 of 730 voting districts completed. The ANC in Northern Cape led with 194 373 votes, while DA had 83 809, and 51 813for the EFF.

In KwaZulu-Natal, which is among the most contested provinces, the MK is taking the lead with 625 363 votes, followed by ANC with 259 867, and Inkatha Freedom party (IFP) with 248 567, and DA with 200 493 votes.

Results continue to be captured and the leaderboard updated.

The IEC is expected to give the progress report on the elections at 4pm.

At a media briefing on Thursday, the Electoral Commission (IEC) announced that vote counting in the National and Provincial Elections 2024 has now been completed, and the process to capture and validate results was underway.

“The process of results compilation entails ensuring accuracy and validation of the results.

This process involves scanning each result slip to create an image of the result, double blind capture of each result slip, and auditing of each result slip by independent auditors. The result system was audited externally and parties had occasion to also audit,” the Commission’s Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said at the briefing. – SAnews.gov.za

GabiK
Fri, 05/31/2024 - 12:30

11931 views

31 May 2024

Safety operations to continue throughout SA

Location: News

Safety operations to continue throughout SA

Minister of Police Bheki Cele has reiterated that police operations will continue until after the elections to ensure that citizens are safe.

Addressing members of the media at the Electoral Commission’s Results Operations Centre on Friday, the Minister said safety operations for the election period will end between 24 hours and 48 hours after the announcement of the election results.

“We pulled all our resources together… National Treasury has provided a budget for transportation and accommodation of law enforcement officials and overtime payments. We have deployed more than 17 000 police officers from various provinces to KwaZulu-Natal to ensure the elections take place in a safe and secure environment,” Cele said in Midrand at the National Results Operations Centre (ROC).

South Africans went to the polls on Wednesday to cast their votes in the 2024 General Elections, which are stated to be the most contested in the history of the country.

With reports of post-election violence doing the rounds, the Minister assured citizens that authorities are on high alert to deal with any threats.

The Justice, Crime Prevention, and Security (JCPS) Cluster has been implementing coordinated and intelligence-led operations both pre- and during the elections, where multi-departmental teams work together to ensure that all South Africans are safe.

Coordination is managed by National and Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structures of the JCPS Cluster and the Electoral Commission (IEC).

The Minister said these plans will continue post elections.

Further to this, interdepartmental priority committees were established in 2023 at both national and provincial level to look at safety and security planning.

The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure did a thorough threat and crime pattern analysis which informed a security plan which ensures that “nothing is left to chance”.

The national security plan was approved by the various Ministers of the JCPS Cluster. – SAnews.gov.za

nosihle
Fri, 05/31/2024 - 16:11

441 views

31 May 2024

SA elections were held under “peaceful” conditions – African Union Mission

Location: News

SA elections were held under “peaceful” conditions – African Union Mission

Head of the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, has declared that South Africa’s 2024 National and Provincial Elections were held under peaceful conditions.

The observer mission was deployed to South Africa from 21 May at the invitation of the South African Government and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

This as South Africans went to the polls on Wednesday, 29 May.

“Overall, the mission notes that the 2024 South African National and Provincial Elections were pivotal for the country’s democratic future and had implications for political stability within South Africa and the sub-region.

“South Africans freely exercised their constitutional right to vote and voted peacefully. The participation of youth and women offers hope for the future of democracy in Africa, and indicates an increased trust in the electoral process.

"While the electoral process is still ongoing, we implore all aggrieved parties to use the existing election dispute resolution mechanisms to address their grievances, if any,” Kenyatta said in a preliminary statement.

AUEOM staff have been deployed to several parts of the country to observe aspects of the elections.

“Since arriving in South Africa, the AUEOM has engaged with key stakeholders, including the IEC, the media, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), faith-based organisations, representatives of the international community, citizens' observer groups and Heads of other Election Observer Missions, the African Diplomatic Corps and the international community, and academia.

“The Mission deployed 21 teams of 65 observers across nine provinces to observe the special voting on 28 May and polling on 29 May 2024, focusing on various aspects of the electoral process. A final report with comprehensive findings and recommendations will be issued two months after the elections,” Kenyatta stated.

He observed that the National and Provincial Elections (NPE2024) was held with “a renewed enthusiasm among South Africans to strengthen their democratic gains”.

“This election was notably competitive due to the emergence of several new political parties. Despite the peaceful and credible nature of the previous six elections, the 2024 elections were marked by a tense political environment, intensified by several litigations.

“The pre-election period saw heightened tensions and concerns over the potential misuse of social media for spreading fake news, disinformation, and misinformation, which could incite violence.

“Nevertheless, the elections proceeded without major incidents, maintaining a pattern of peaceful conduct. Despite the challenges and tensions, the 2024 elections were conducted peacefully, demonstrating the resilience of South Africa's democratic processes,” Kenyatta said. – SAnews.gov.za

NeoB
Fri, 05/31/2024 - 16:17

444 views

31 May 2024

HSRC survey finds trust in IEC by voters was high

Location: News

HSRC survey finds trust in IEC by voters was high

A Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) survey has found that trust in the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) was high among voters, as millions cast their vote in the National and Provincial Elections (NPE) on Wednesday, 29 May.

This is according to the HSRC’s preliminary findings on the survey conducted on Election Day, as South Africans voted, marking 30 years since the historic first democratic elections in 1994.

The HSRC released its preliminary findings at the IEC national Results Operations Centre (ROC) in Midrand on Friday.

In the Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS), voters were asked questions about the election process, including whether the 2024 NPE were free and fair.

The survey aimed to establish the opinions and perceptions of voters and their electoral experience.

WATCH | HSRC media briefing

The research sampled 300 voting stations selected countrywide, proportional to race, geographic type and the number of voting stations in each province.

“Trust in the Electoral Commission was high and almost all voters felt that they were safe to cast their ballot in secrecy,” the survey found.

According to the HSRC’s Dr Benjamin Roberts, trust in the country’s election management body is well in the 80% rate.

“The trust in the commission remains dominant… Amongst the general public, trust in the commission has been declining, as it has in all core political institutions over the last decade and a half, although the IEC remains among the trusted institutions in the country.

“But obviously, the voting public trust is much higher.”

Roberts believes that this is predominantly because those who had a positive experience leaving the aspect of the queuing time translates to the validation of the institution.

“The other reason is that for many South Africans, the predominant response to unhappiness with the function of the political system is the abstention and not electoral turnout. We’re finding increasing polarisation of happier voters and discontent and abstinence. That’s what’s probably driving the positive evaluations,” said Roberts.

Meanwhile, results indicated that voters overwhelmingly believed the 2024 NPE were free and fair and positively rated the conduct of officials at voting stations.

“Almost all voters felt that they were safe to cast their ballot in secrecy,” said Roberts.

The majority of voters also felt that the IEC adequately considered the needs of vulnerable groups, including the elderly and people with disabilities.

However, the finding showed that queuing times at voting stations increased relative to more recent elections, which had a bearing on electoral evaluations.

In addition, most voters were pleased with the ballot papers, with 58% indicating they were “very satisfied” and 35% told researchers they were “satisfied”.

However, 38% wanted to improve the ballot paper for future elections.

In addition, fewer people believe that their vote counts than those who believe they must vote.

Coercion and availability of information

Shifting focus to coercion, 12% reported experiencing someone trying to force them to vote for a certain political party or candidate, while nine percent said it happened before Election Day.

Four percent said they were forced by party agents and four percent by friends and family.

“Of those reporting coercion, 73% reported that it had no bearing on electoral choice, 25% said it did and two percent uncertain. This translates into three percent of all voters who changed their vote,” Roberts said.

On the level of information, roughly 13% stated that they had far too little information and 10% said they had too little information about the voting procedures.

Meanwhile, 42% said that the IEC website was “very useful” in providing information and education and 23% said “somewhat useful”.

According to the survey, 52% said that the IEC voter education campaigns were “very useful” in providing information and education and 28% said “somewhat useful”. – SAnews.gov.za

Gabisile
Fri, 05/31/2024 - 16:34

241 views

31 May 2024

IEC continues vote capturing

Location: News

IEC continues vote capturing

The Electoral Commission is pulling all the stops to ensure the finalisation of the capturing and auditing of results for the 2024 National and Provincial Elections, and remains on course to complete the process timeously.

Briefing media at the National Results Operations Centre (ROC) in Midrand on Friday, the Commission’s Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, reiterated that counting at all voting stations has been completed, and that the Commission has all the results at its local offices.

“The process underway is to capture results on our system for tallying and seat allocation. So far, a total of 71.76 [percentage of] results have been captured,” Mamabolo explained.

The CEO reminded South Africans that the ballots are counted at the voting stations where they are cast.

WATCH | IEC media briefing

“At all times, this is done in the presence of political party agents, independent candidate agents and observers, who monitor the entire counting and results process.

“The Commission regrets the incident this morning when the leader boards at the results operation centres and our website could not display the results. We wish to emphasise that our system did not crash and no data was compromised.

“The Commission went into the elections with a full IT plan, which includes back-up and recovery, in case it is needed. This situation has not arisen,” Mamabolo said.

READ | IEC's results dashboard restored

Mamabolo said the incident involved the activation of a "necessary control" not to display to leader boards, which is a feature of the result system.

“Result capturing and other result collation activities proceeded without interruption,” he said.

Meanwhile, progress relating to the capturing of the results, per province, is as follows (as at the time of the media briefing at 4pm):

Eastern Cape is at 92.13%, with 4485 of 4 868 voting districts completed.
Free State is at 95.52%, with 1 515 of 1 586 voting districts completed.
Gauteng is at 75.33%, with 2 107 of 2 797 voting districts completed.
KwaZulu-Natal is at 75.37%, with 3 749 of 4 974 voting districts completed.
Mpumalanga is at 91.94%, with 1 665 of 1 811 voting districts completed.
Northern Cape is at 100%, with 730 of 730 voting districtss completed.
Limpopo is at 80.78%, with 2 598 of 3 216 voting districts completed.
North West is at 88.61%, with 1 540 of 1 738 voting districts completed.
Western Cape is at 88.99%, with 1 399 of 1 572 voting districts completed.

- SAnews.gov.za

Edwin
Fri, 05/31/2024 - 16:58

364 views

31 May 2024

Law enforcement in North West saluted for ensuring election safety

Location: News

Law enforcement in North West saluted for ensuring election safety

The North West Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (PROVJOINTS) has thanked law enforcement officials in the province for ensuring that the National and Provincial Elections were held without major incident in that province.

Election Day for South Africans was on Wednesday, with special votes conducted on Monday and Tuesday.

“It is now common cause that the elections in the province were without any major or significant security breaches, and this is highly due to the command, management, commitment, dedication and support of all the JOINTS departments, the IEC, communities and civil society in the province.

“The joint command of the PROVJOINTS… would like to express its sincerest appreciation to all the men and women of different law enforcement agencies and different entities, who heeded the call of duty by working tirelessly and diligently to make sure that the 2024 epoch making elections were held in a safe and secure, peaceful and conducive environment.

“The dedication, discipline, cooperation and commitment displayed by all is testament to the spirit of patriotism and further enhanced the image of South Africa internationally, given the fact that they eyes of the world were on this year’s elections,” the PROVJOINTS said in a statement.

It stated that the successful holding of peaceful elections was due to “months and weeks of detailed and integrated planning”.

The PROVJOINTS explained that it, together with the IEC, took into account many factors including budgetary and cost containment constraints without jeopardising and compromising the safety, security and credibility for all stakeholders including the public.

“The PROVJOINTS, which was entrusted with the mammoth task and responsibility of securing the entire process, was for the first time faced with an unprecedented high number of political parties; more than thirty and three different ballot papers and the first time use of Voter Management Devices (VMDs) by the IEC, in addition to managing the stability situation in the Province.

“Despite the uncertainty and threats of disruptions of elections, the PROVJOINTS managed to deliver on its assurance to the IEC and all the people of North West that elections will be held in a safe, secure and conducive environment,” the statement read. – SAnews.gov.za

NeoB
Fri, 05/31/2024 - 17:23

85 views

31 May 2024

Digital tool created to address online misinformation during SA elections

Location: MyPR

Tales of Turning – an organisation which harnesses research, social media, and technology for good – has partnered with the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington, and the Media Forensics Hub at Clemson University to conduct a field experiment focused on preventing mis- and disinformation over South Africa’s election period. Digital …

31 May 2024

NATJOINTS welcomes arrest of Mthatha strike instigators

Location: News

NATJOINTS welcomes arrest of Mthatha strike instigators

The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) has welcomed the arrest of two men who are believed to be behind the taxi-related strike which led to all major routes into Mthatha being blocked on Monday.

While police moved in swiftly to restore law and order on the day, they have also been working around the clock to trace those behind the incitement of violence.

On Thursday, the alleged instigators were traced to Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.

A member of a taxi association in the OR Tambo District, 52-year-old Mthuthuzeli Sogoni was wanted in relation to a voice note he allegedly circulated inciting violence and mobilising people not to vote.

This as South Africans went to the polls in the country’s seventh National and Provincial Elections on Wednesday.

The second accused is 47-year-old Ncebo Nkosi, who was arrested after he recorded a video of himself allegedly calling for taxi operators and owners to disrupt the elections and embark on violent protests.

The two men appeared in the Mthatha Magistrate’s Court this morning on charges of inciting public violence, contravention of the Cybercrimes Act and contravention of the Electoral Act.

They are out on R3 000 bail each. Their case has been remanded to 22 July 2024.

The inflammatory messages shared by the pair were spread widely on various social media platforms.

“The NATJOINTS has repeatedly warned social media users to refrain from posting and sharing inflammatory messages that could cause harm, mobilise communities to incite violence and engage in criminal acts,” it said.

The NATJOINTS has also been consistent in assuring communities that law enforcement agencies would act decisively against those found to be on the wrong side of the law.

“It is against this background that the NATJOINTS welcomes the decisive action taken against those who contravene the rule of law.

“Members of the public are once again discouraged from sharing inflammatory messages that quite often redirect and divert police resources and personnel from attending to serious and violent related crimes,” NATJOINTS said. – SAnews.gov.za

Edwin
Fri, 05/31/2024 - 16:25

9 views

31 May 2024

Education at the Forefront of South Africa’s Children: Afrika Tikkun celebrates International Children’s Day

Location: MyPR

South Africa is abuzz with discussions, debates and decisions as the nation awaits the outcome of the 7th democratic elections. Every citizen’s vote will shape the country’s trajectory, making this period critical for our democracy. While parties presented a variety of platforms and promises, one issue stands out prominently: education. For many South Africans, the …

31 May 2024

Over 55% of election results captured

Location: News

Over 55% of election results captured

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) had captured close to 55% of the ballots as of 9am on Friday.

According to the IEC results dashboard, the African National Congress (ANC) is taking the lead nationally, with 3 236 550 votes representing 42.07%.

The ANC is followed by the Democratic Alliance with 1 821 912 at 23.68%, while the new kids on the block the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has already secured 832 178 at 10.82%.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), which is currently the third biggest party in Parliament, is sitting at 9.58% with 737 238 votes.

Newcomer, the Patriotic Alliance (PA) is also making headway at position five with 211 738 at 2.75%.

These are currently the leading parties by voting station, as the IEC officials continue to capture the results in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.

The counting procedures have been concluded with only a few voting stations reported to still be counting at 3pm on Thursday.

“The process of results compilation entails ensuring accuracy and validation of the results. This process involves scanning each result slip to create an image of the result, double-blind capture of each result slip, auditing of each result slip by independent auditors,” the IEC said.

According to the commission, the resulting system was audited externally and the parties also had to verify them.

The results have been trickling in throughout the night, as capturing continues.

The IEC said last night they were sitting on a 58.69% voter turnout, hovering just below 60% of voters, with bigger stations’ results still to come in.

As per the IEC data, 27 782 777 people registered to vote, with 7 943 840 total votes cast.

Of these, 7 840 658 were valid, with 103 182 spoilt votes.

The results continue to be captured and displayed on the leaderboards at the Results Operations Centre in Midrand. – SAnews.gov.za

Gabisile
Fri, 05/31/2024 - 10:03

2337 views

31 May 2024

IEC’s results dashboard restored

Location: News

IEC's results dashboard restored

The Electoral Commission (IEC) has apologised to voters and the media who were unable to view results in the National and Provincial Elections for almost two hours on Friday morning.

The leaderboards at the Results Operations Centre (ROC) in Midrand and the online results dashboard are currently back up and running.

“The Electoral Commission confirms that it has experienced interruption in the replication of data from its national data centre and the various Results Operation Centres.

“The data in the data centre remains intact and the results have not been compromised. All services have since been restored and the leaderboard is working normal,” said the commission.

It said the processing of results is continuing and unaffected.

The commission has completed 54.89 percent of the results as at 9am on Friday.

Access the live results at https://results.elections.org.za/dashboards/npe/. – SAnews.gov.za

GabiK
Fri, 05/31/2024 - 08:57

834 views

30 May 2024

IEC reiterates commitment to accurate results capturing

Location: News

IEC reiterates commitment to accurate results capturing

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has reiterated its commitment to achieving accuracy in the process of capturing the votes counted in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.

On Thursday evening, the Commission held a briefing at the National Results Operation Centre (ROC) in Midrand, Gauteng, where it detailed the latest developments in the capturing and verification process following the General Election held on Wednesday, 29 May.

Earlier on Thursday, the IEC said in a briefing that with vote counting having been concluded, each voting station would embark on a process of finalising its results.

READ | Process to finalise Elections 2024 voting station results underway

At the time of the briefing at 8pm on Thursday, IEC General Manager Granville Abrahams said the overall percentage of votes captured on the results system stood at 55.6%.

Abrahams explained that the reason the new developments were not appearing immediately on the leaderboard at the ROC is that the Commission was still verifying them to ensure accuracy.

“To achieve accuracy, we have various processes, the first one being the capturing of the results. The results slips have been received after being checked, [as well as being] scanned and audited,” Abrahams said.

Given that this was the first time there were three ballots in the National and Provincial Elections (i.e. National Ballot, Regional or Province-to-National Ballots and Provincial Ballots), Abrahams said the Commission had anticipated that the counting process would take longer.

READ | Voters urged to familiarise themselves with three ballot papers

“We did expect that we will take longer this year and to that extent, we did share with the media that we have planned to have the results announcement on Sunday. Normally, we would have it on Saturday,” Abrahams said.

Abrahams said the results will continue to trickle in throughout the night.

“That is a positive sign from the smaller municipalities. Based on what we have on the system, we are sitting on a 58.69% voter turnout, so we are hovering just below 60% of voter turnout, with bigger stations' results still to come in,” he said.

The Commission reported an incident where one ballot box, containing votes that had already been counted, went missing in transit from the voting station Matamzana Dube School in VD 43412767, KZN282, uMhlathuze.

The IEC appealed to citizens in and around Ward 14 uMhlathuze, KwaZulu-Natal, to be on the lookout for the IEC branded ballot box.

“The Commission is required to retain ballot boxes for a period of six months before disposing of them. We are quite eager to get back that ballot box so that it can be placed in storage,” Abrahams said.

The ballot box got lost while it was being transported in an open vehicle and it was discovered when they got to the destination that it was missing.

“I wish to emphasise that those votes have been counted and they have been recorded on the results slip,” said Abrahams. – SAnews.gov.za

Edwin
Thu, 05/30/2024 - 22:06

277 views

30 May 2024

Police commended for dedication during elections

Location: News

Police commended for dedication during elections

Northern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, has expressed her gratitude to all stakeholders within the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security (JCPS) Cluster for their unwavering dedication and professional conduct during the policing of the 2024 General Elections in the province.

“Force deployments, as well as the collective efforts by all stakeholders, played a pivotal role in ensuring a peaceful elections process,” said Otola, who is the Chairperson of the Provincial Joint Intelligence Structure.

Otola acknowledged the professional conduct of all law enforcement officers who executed their duties with integrity and in an impartial manner and commended the upstanding behaviour of the communities in the province.

“No serious incidents were reported and law enforcement agencies swiftly responded to all occurrences reported,” Otola said.

The Commissioner commended the cooperation with law enforcement and Electoral Commission (IEC) officials’ contribution towards a safe and stable environment.

“Law enforcement in conjunction with all JCPS Cluster stakeholders will not relax efforts during the announcement of the results and proceeding celebrations. Crime prevention operations and disruptive actions will continue unabated to ensure the safety and security of all inhabitants in the province,” Otola said.

High police presence will continue until post elections

Meanwhile, Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni has assured the people of Gauteng that a high police presence will continue in the province until the election process is complete.

“No serious incidents were reported during the casting of votes in Gauteng, even in areas that were classified as high risk,” Mthombeni said.

Joined by the Director-General for the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Advocate Doctor Mashabane and Ekurhuleni Chief of Police Isaac Mapeyeye, Mthombeni visited the Provincial Results Operation Centre in Alberton on Wednesday.

There he briefed the media on how law enforcement agencies were able to maintain law and order as people were casting their votes in Gauteng.

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has also assured that police deployed at strategic areas in KwaZulu-Natal will remain in place until after the new government has taken over the reigns and the province is declared stable.

Mkhwanazi and the National Commissioner of the Department of Correctional Services, Makgothi Thobakgale, monitored the police deployments from the skies and flew over some voting stations, including eThekwini District, which has the highest number of voting stations which were categorised as high risk. – SAnews.gov.za

GabiK
Thu, 05/30/2024 - 14:20

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30 May 2024

Over 20% of ballots counted in 2024 elections

Location: News

Over 20% of ballots counted in 2024 elections

Halfway through the first day of vote counting in South Africa’s 2024 National and Provincial Elections, over 20% of votes have been tallied.

This is as of 2pm on Thursday at 4 710 out of 23 293 voting districts.

The Electoral Commission’s (IEC) results dashboard shows that the African National Congress (ANC) currently leads the polls with 43.51%, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 24.65%.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is sitting at 8.85%, while the uMKhonto we Sizwe (MK Party) is at around 8.11% and 4.07% for the Patriotic Alliance (PA).

Millions of South Africans took to the polls to make their mark in the National and Provincial Elections on Wednesday with many facing long, snaking queues, reminiscent of the 1994 elections.

Polls closed at 9pm last night but all citizens who were in the line were allowed to exercise their democratic right to vote for their party of choice.

The IEC said the counting of ballots occurs at the voting station where the votes are cast.

Party agents, independent candidate agents, and observers oversee the entire counting and results process and are present at all times. – SAnews.gov.za

Gabisile
Thu, 05/30/2024 - 14:31

41236 views

30 May 2024

Process to finalise Elections 2024 voting station results underway

Location: News

Process to finalise Elections 2024 voting station results underway

With vote counting having been concluded in the National and Provincial Elections 2024 (NPE2024), each voting station is now expected to embark on a process to finalise its results.

This according to Electoral Commission (IEC) Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sy Mamabolo, who was briefing the media at the IEC National Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Thursday afternoon.

He explained that the process is now expected to unfold as follows:

Once the results have been counted and finalised, the presiding officer and party agents will, in the presence of observers, sign the result slip which will then be placed in a tamper-evident bag and transported to the capture centre.
At the results capture centre, a check and balance process will ensue. This includes checking that the result slip is on the correct form, has details of the voting station and those of the presiding officer as well as a voting station unique barcode. It is then captured onto the system using the double blind method.
Using the barcode, the results slip is then scanned and the results are electronically matched with the appropriate voting district.
External auditors will then audit the results slip to ensure that it is captured correctly.
The results are then taken through the Commission's exception parameters. If an exception is flagged, the results are investigated and taken through the recapture process.
Once the results pass the test, it will then become final and available to political parties, independent candidates and the media.

WATCH | IEC media briefing

“Once all the results are finalised, the Commission will undertake the seat calculation process, based on a prescribed formula. The full list of the new public representatives will be handed over to the Chief Justice once seat assignment is completed.

“While this process is proceeding well, it is important to reflect that historically, in the first 24 hours, 80% of the results would have been finalised. However, the process in the NPE2024 has been slowed down by the third ballot, particularly in the metropolitan areas,” he said.

READ | Vote counting now concluded

The CEO emphasised that the commission has at least a week to announce the results.

“We have always been able to declare and announce the results well within this period and will endeavour to do so with these elections,” Mamabolo concluded. – SAnews.gov.za

NeoB
Thu, 05/30/2024 - 17:03

2197 views

30 May 2024

Hold officials personally liable to strengthen our democracy

Location: News

Accountability through the ballot box is not enough

30 May 2024

Vote counting now concluded

Location: News

Vote counting now concluded

Vote counting in the National and Provincial Elections 2024 has now been completed, and the process to capture and validate results is underway.

This is according to the Electoral Commission’s Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo.

Mamabolo was briefing media at the IEC’s National Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Thursday afternoon.

“For all intents and purposes, counting procedures have been concluded, with only a few voting stations reported to still be counting at 3pm. The process of results compilation entails ensuring accuracy and validation of the results.

“This process involves scanning each result slip to create an image of the result, double blind capture of each result slip, and auditing of each result slip by independent auditors. The result system was audited externally and parties had occasion to also audit,” Mamabolo said.

WATCH | IEC briefing

Mamabolo said by 4pm on Thursday, results had been concluded for some 22.6% of the voting districts – representing at least 2.3 million votes cast.

The rate of the results captured is as follows:

Gauteng has captured 28%;
Limpopo 26%;
North West 36%;
Northern Cape 63%;
Free State 56%;
KwaZulu-Natal 23%;
Mpumalanga 42%;
Eastern Cape 58%, and
Western Cape 57%.

“A result is considered complete only when a result slip has been scanned into an image, captured onto the results system, audited by independent auditors and has gone through the automated Results System exception parameters,” Mamabolo explained.

Every vote counts

Mamabolo revealed that the last ballot to be cast on Election Day was cast in Tshwane, Gauteng, with the first results coming from the Eastern Cape.

“True to its undertaking, the Commission assisted all voters that were in the queue by 21h00. Just after midnight, the Commission announced the first result. This was in a voting district in the Winnie Madikizela Mandela Municipality in the Eastern Cape,” he said.

The CEO thanked the millions of South Africans who braved long queues at voting stations and other challenges to make their mark in these elections.

“The Electoral Commission thanks the real heroes of the 2024 National and Provincial Elections. They are South Africans who stood in the queues and electoral staff who worked tirelessly to process the votes.

“The commitment and patience shown by the voters and electoral staff demonstrates their commitment to our electoral democracy,” Mamabolo said. – SAnews.gov.za

NeoB
Thu, 05/30/2024 - 17:00

127 views

30 May 2024

2024 Elections: progress made in vote counting

Location: News

2024 Elections: progress made in vote counting

Vote counting is progressing steadily after South Africans took to the polls in the 29 May National and Provincial Elections.

According to the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s Results Dashboard, as at 15:41pm on Thursday, with 21.05% of votes having been counted (4 903 of 23 293 voting districts completed), the African National Congress (ANC) leads with 43.39%, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 24.72%, and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 8.90% nationally.

There are 27 782 477 registered voters in the country.

Provincial Legislature overview

In terms of vote counting for the Provincial Legislatures, results on the dashboard stand as follows for the leading parties:

Eastern Cape (counting 25.78% complete): ANC – 63.68%; DA – 15.68% and EFF – 9.44%.

Free State (counting 35.69% complete): ANC – 53.36%; DA – 21.37% and EFF – 12.45%.

Gauteng (counting 15.27% complete): ANC – 33.76%; DA – 30.46% and EFF – 11.66%.

KwaZulu-Natal (counting 11.94% complete): uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK Party) – 43.33%; ANC – 20.47% and Inkatha Freedom Party – 19.45%.

Mpumalanga (counting 23.69% complete): ANC – 50.97%; MK – 17.10% and EFF – 13.16%.

Northern Cape (counting 73.01% complete): ANC – 46.50%; DA – 24.57% and EFF – 10.57%.

Limpopo (counting 13.15% complete): ANC – 70.31%; EFF – 13.19% and DA – 9.14%.

North West (counting 18.01% complete): ANC – 63.27%; EFF – 17.19% and DA – 9.13.

Western Cape (counting 35.69%): DA – 51.72%; ANC – 20.32% and Patriotic Alliance – 10.90%.

Counting continues. – SAnews.gov.za

Matona
Thu, 05/30/2024 - 16:27

164 views

30 May 2024

Government thanks voters

Location: News

Government thanks voters

Government has thanked the millions of South Africans who successfully went out in their numbers to make their voices heard in the seventh democratic elections by casting their votes.

“Particularly noteworthy is how first-time voters clearly came out in their numbers to affirm their right to vote and in so doing their commitment to a democratic and free country, a country which knows its freedom came at a high price,” Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Acting Director-General, Nomonde Mnukwa, said on Thursday.

South Africans went to the polls on Wednesday in the 2024 National and Provincial Elections.

These elections coincide with the country’s celebration of 30 years of freedom and democracy.

“The youth of South Africa have confirmed their commitment to shaping our nation’s future in this election and their engagement in the electoral process is a testament to their adherence to constitutional values. We salute you all,” Mnukwa said.

The GCIS said the unwavering commitment, dedication and professionalism of various stakeholders and role players was instrumental in ensuring that the country held successful elections.

“The conduct of the electorate during this process has been exemplary as a testament to the founding principles of the country’s democracy and is a reflection of a nation hallmarked and acknowledged globally by a regular, credible electoral process since 1994.

“This active participation of citizens is indeed a cornerstone of our democratic process and will go a long way in building a vibrant and representative nation,” the GCIS said.

Law enforcement agencies working through the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) were crucial in ensuring safe and peaceful elections.

“This ensured that all citizens exercise their democratic right to campaign and cast their vote freely and without fear. The security measures, most notably in identified hotspot areas, contributed to elections that were peaceful and safe. Where incidents were reported, these were swiftly addressed not only by law enforcement and officials of the Electoral Commission (IEC).”

The voting process by the IEC across all correctional facilities concluded without significant issues.

“This is an important milestone for a democratic country, ensuring that eligible voters, including the incarcerated, participate in the electoral process. The synergy amongst correctional officials in preparing inmates and ushering them to the voting stations made it possible for the IEC to guarantee a seamless and secure voting experience for inmates.

“The Department of Home Affairs also ensured that all South Africans had identification documents for the purpose of casting their votes with extended operating hours and issuing of temporary ID documents to enable the public to have the necessary documents that enabled them to vote.

“Since the dawn of democracy, South Africa’s general elections have been viewed as free and fair by both domestic and international observers, and this serves as encouragement for the country to continue to uphold the integrity of the electoral processes,” GCIS said.

Government acknowledged the invaluable contributions of community leaders, elections officials, volunteers, and all who played various roles in facilitating successful elections.

“Working together, the teams were instrumental in ensuring voter education and accessibility for all eligible voters. All sectors of society are commended for making it possible for the elections to be held in such a peaceful, nonviolent, and safe manner,” GCIS said.

The election was also marked by a record number of political parties as well as independent candidates for the first time, which is a reflection of South Africa’s maturing multiparty democracy.

The cooperation by all political parties is a demonstration of the collective spirit of ensuring that all citizens exercise their democratic right to vote.

“The role of the various communication channels and platforms, as well as national and international media in ensuring comprehensive coverage of our elections confirms the crucial role of media in strengthening democracy and civic education. Throughout this elections period, the media played a critical role in reflecting on our advances, challenges and our developmental journey since 1994,” GCIS said.

Government has thanked the various partners from state entities but also various agencies, civil society and the non-government sector, as well as the media, who played an assertive role during the elections period, to curb disinformation and misinformation thus contributing to the integrity of information circulated during the electoral process.

Vote counting and establishing a new administration

“As the counting process unfolds, the public is urged to refrain from sharing information in the form of pictures and videos that seek to declare elections results or incite violence pertaining to elections results. Elections results will be announced officially by the IEC as the body that is legally mandated to announce elections results,” Mnukwa said.

Government has reiterated that there will be no vacuum as South Africa journey’s to the establishment of the seventh democratic administration and whilst the country awaits the outcomes of the elections.

Government will continue to execute its Constitutional mandate of providing services to all South Africans. – SAnews.gov.za

nosihle
Thu, 05/30/2024 - 12:27

122 views

30 May 2024

IEC thanks voters for their patience in long queues

Location: News

IEC thanks voters for their patience in long queues

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has taken to X, formerly known as Twitter, to thank everyone who waited in long queues at voting stations across the country on Wednesday.

As millions of South Africans took to the polls to make their mark in the National and Provincial Elections, many faced long, snaking queues, reminiscent of the first democratic elections in 1994.

Addressing the media yesterday afternoon, IEC Deputy CEO Masego Sheburi said the commission attended to most of the reported incidents of voting stations not opening due to challenges with voter management devices.

While the polls closed at 9pm all citizens who were in the line were allowed to vote, and onsite security services ensured that all voting and counting processes were concluded safely.

“To everyone who waited in line to vote, thank you for your patience,” the IEC wrote on X.

The commission also expressed its gratitude to officials who worked hard and long hours to make sure Election Day was a success.

“A special thank you to the thousands of IEC officials and stakeholders who made #SAelections24 happen, we see you. We could not have done it without you. It’s your democracy, own it,” the IEC wrote.

The first results in the elections started trickling in around 2am on Thursday.

Vote counting was at 13.99% as of 10:19am today.

Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, said results may take longer to filter through than in the past because there are three ballot papers instead of two. – SAnews.gov.za

Gabisile
Thu, 05/30/2024 - 10:45

285 views