Elections Over and Back to Drawing Board

Kgothatso Madisa

IEC chairperson, Dr. Brigalia Bam, has announced local government election results at the IEC centre in Pretoria thus ending months of campaigning and political mud sligging by various organisation especially the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance.

There was much anticipation for the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan results but as counting was continuing it became clear that the ANC would retain as well as all but one of the other metros. The DA kept Cape Town and showed that it is still a firm favourite in the Western Cape Province.

Despite all the protests that took place ahead of the local government elections ANC won all the Metro's in the country with 62% except Cape Metro which was taken by the DA.

IEC CEO, Pansy Tlakula, says she is impressed with the smooth running of these elections and there was worry on voter apathy, but the turnout was high for local government elections. Some of this might be credited to social networks that are bringing about massive change all over the world.

Efficiency seems to have improved on the side of the IEC as Tlakula says only an average of just over 20 minutes was spent on the queues.

Tlakula also said "not a single party has refused the outcome of the elections"

President Jacob Zuma congratulated the IEC for fair and free elections adding that he is proud that the institution is headed by women.

They are over but we saw the Congress of the People suffer as a result of infighting, the ANC was unsettled a bit and the DA was the only party to have received some gains. Zuma concluded by saying "elections are over and there is a lot of work to be done".