Local election results released

The fourth provincial local elections was declared free, fair and credible by Provincial Electoral Officer Nkaro Mateta on Sunday evening at the new Peter Mokaba Stadium, which had been the second home to the commission for the last two weeks.
The ANC won 68%, the EFF 27% and the DA 8% of the votes in the province. The ANC, who in the last local government elections obtained 80,59% of the votes, lost 11,84% of their support.
The ANC won 20 out of the 22 municipalities, with 784 seats in total, of which 535 were ward seats while the EFF won 190 seats in total of which 3 are ward seats and the DA 94 seats, 24 of which are ward seats.
Only 50,42% of the registered voters in the province exercised their right to vote, making it the province with the lowest voter turn-out, with Vuwani, one of the hotspots in the province at one voting station only recording eight voters.
In Vhembe Makhado, Thulamela and the new municipality the voter turn-out was less than 40%.
Among the municipalities with the highest voter turn-out were Modimolle-Mookophong with 57,54%, Maruleng with 56,34%, Bela-Bela with 55,46% and Greater Giyani and Musina each with 55,10%.
Spoilt ballot papers counted 1,56% in the 2016 elections against the 2,3% in 2011.
Most of the spoilt ballot papers were from Sekhukhune.
Makhuduthamaga was the last municipality from which votes were received owing to the dated and very slow IT system of the municipality.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in Limpopo is disappointed with the voter turnout in the province.
“We were targeting around 60% because we were encouraged by the 2014 general election turnout, national and provincial elections,” Electoral Officer, Nkaro Mateta said.
The coming two weeks are expected to be characterised by tough negotiations regarding coalitions to be formed in the province, as there were no outright winners in the Waterberg local municipalities of Modimolle-Mookgopong, Bela-Bela and Thabazimbi. It will be up to the EFF, DA, Congress of the People (Cope), and other parties to decide if they will form a coalition force and rule together.
The controversial Vuwani-Malamu-lele-Hlanganani municipality, where just more than 1 500 voters out of more than 40 000 Vuwani residents voted, endorsed the ANC and 35 wards were won by them. One ward was won by an independent candidate.
In Thabazimbi, the ANC won by 45,3% followed by the DA scooping 22,21% and EFF at 20,24%. In Modimolle/Mookgophong, the ANC won by 47,68%, the DA scooped 24,11% and the EFF got 19,44%. Modimolle-Mookgopong and Thabazimbi are hung councils because of disputes. The EFF was also disputing the results in Bela-Bela.
EFF Provincial Secretary Jossey Buthane was satisfied with the party’s results and said they were glad to have won Seshego. The party won with 51,18% in Seshego, the ANC took 44,73% of the votes and the DA 2,49%. Buthane said the party was ‘humbled’ and the results gave the party hope.
“This shows that people are rejecting the ANC, and it gives us hope that we are going somewhere. Our people are aware of what needs to happen,” he said.
ANC Deputy Provincial Secretary Makoma Makhurupetje, who is also MEC for Cooperative Governance, Housing, and Traditional Affairs, said her party was happy and appreciated the elections outcome. She believed the ANC would still govern in Modimolle-Mookgopong.
“We have 46 % of the votes, we just need to engage other political parties.”
DA MP Desiree van der Walt said the party was glad to have won some wards from the ANC thereby ensuring that it failed to get an outright majority in two municipalities.
She was pleased about election results in the Waterberg where the DA had worked very hard and said the process to form coalitions would start on Monday.
Two by-elections would be held within 90 day in the province.
In Vuwani one of the ANC candidates died, but still won the ward where he stood and in Polokwane an ANC councillor was registered as candidate in two wards.
Six IEC officials were suspended during the elections for various transgressions of the Electoral Act and complaints would be addressed by the IEC within the next 14 days.

Story and photos: NELIE ERASMUS
>>nelie.observer@gmail.com

Featured photo: Representatives of the three major parties in the province toast the election outcomes. From left are African National Congress Chairperson Stan Mathabatha, Economic Freedom Fighters Secretary General Jossey Buthane and Democratic Aliance MP Desiree van der Walt.