NELSPRUIT – The traditional ANC stronghold of Mpumalanga is officially seeing a new political player emerge, while an old foe falls away.
(See the final results here)
At the time of going to print yesterday, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) estimated that 90 per cent of the votes for provincial government had been counted. It showed the ANC retained its majority with 78 per cent, with the DA getting 11 per cent and the new kid on the block, the EFF, taking six per cent.
The preliminary results showed that COPE, the party which had one seat in the provincial legislature along with the ANC’s 27 and DA’s two over the past five years, had fallen off the grid.
The premier, Mr David Mabuza voted at Lincoln Farm near Barberton. The results for Umjindi Local Municipality was also finalised with 79,9 per cent of the votes going to the ANC, 11,7 to the DA and the EFF receiving 6,3 percent.
Mabuza said the ruling party would continue where it left off as he was confident that it would again be voted into power by the majority of South Africans.
“It is encouraging to see the farm owners release their employees to exercise their democratic right to choose their government. By doing this, we respect the efforts of our former leaders who brought this country together. As leaders we should take our people forward regardless of the parties or positions we occupy by ensuring we deliver the services as expected,” he said.
The final results in the Thaba Chweu Municipality showed the ANC also received a majority of the votes with 68,9 per cent, followed by the DA with 19,4 per cent and the EFF with 7,8 per cent. By the time that 89 per cent of votes had been counted, results for the national government showed that the ANC received 78,7 per cent of the province’s votes followed by the DA with 10,3 and the EFF with six.
See how each municipality in Mpumalanga voted here.
The DA’s Mr Anthony Benadie cast his vote in Middelburg yesterday. “We are very humbled by the support we have received across the province,” he said. “We are also very optimistic about the future of the province and the country. Many people cast their vote for the DA for the first time on Wednesday.
“The results so far indicate that this party is the only one big and competent enough to challenge the ANC. This election will position the DA to do an even greater job of oversight over the ruling party. It is a solid and firm foundation to build on going towards the elections in 2016 and 2019.”
Closer to home, Mr Collen Sedibe, the premier candidate for the EFF, voted at the White River Community Hall. He said, “We have done very well – we have reached every sector, including all the general citizens who don’t tolerate corruption.”
The voting went smoothly, with short queues and speedy assistance from IEC staff widely lauded. Adv Pansy Tlakula, chairperson of the IEC, thanked voters for their patience, tolerance and dignity in exercising their right to vote. She said the most significant challenges resulted mainly from people voting where they were not registered.
Unlike previous elections, nobody was shown away to go to their own voting district, but instead they were assisted. The late opening of voting stations were few and people queued up patiently, making small talk. A lul during the day saw social media flare up with praise for the short waiting periods at stations, with people advising each other where to get the quickest service before stations closed at 21:00 (no late closures were reported in the Lowveld).
Small slights in the Lowveld included tension between the ANC and EFF in the lead-up to voting in Driekoppies, Nkomazi. The ANC allegedly handed out party T-shirts at Driekoppies Community Hall as well as Glenthorpe Primary School near Barberton.
