By Results are beginning to trickle in as counting started just before 22:00 last night in some voting stations. The IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya made the first announcement just after midnight at the National Results Operating Centre (ROC).
According to Moepya, voting stations started closing at 9pm, by 21: 47, 8873 stations were closed, at 22: 18, the numbers of closed voting stations increased to 11332. The number kept on growing because the Commission brought in the counting staff of 70 000 personnel early before 21:00 to assist with the long queues and it paid dividends. By 23: 52 the number of voting stations had increased to 16768 and results were being processed.
Though it is still early to make anything of the results at this stage as things can go in any direction; interestingly enough is to see the strong presence of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party in the Eastern Cape.
The IEC announced the first results from Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Municipality, at the Bizana Baptist Church.
The ANC was at the time leading by 60.7%, it is known that the Eastern Cape is one of the ANC’s strong hold and for now, the results show that the ruling party is still dominating. The EFF came in second at 17.7%, one cannot help but notice the gulf between the ANC and the EFF though it came in second.
Mk party came in third, not far behind the EFF at 10.4%, the new kid on the block is proving formidable and might as well overtake the EFF as the results come in, but like we said, it is still early days. Following the new kid, is the DA, which for now has been reduced to a chromosome in the municipality coming in at 3%.
The results are expected to change as the day and counting progresses. More and more voting stations will be reporting on the results. This is the most nerve wrecking time for politicians; this is when they will find out whether their campaigns have been effective.
The nation is also waiting in anticipation to find out whether the country will have a coalition government or not. As results trickle in, the ANC is currently number one on the national ballot.
