HIGHVELD – The ANC is still the ruling party – by far.
The party continues to call Mpumalanga one of its strongholds after accumulating more than 70 per cent of the electorate’s votes in the province.
Although the ANC’s popularity shrunk by more than 10 per cent in the Govan Mbeki municipal area, the party is still standing strong with 58 807 votes cast in their favour.
A total of 100 683 votes were cast in the Govan Mbeki municipal area during the national and provincial elections on 8 May.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) accumulated 16,33 per cent at 16 446 votes, followed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 14 871 votes. This gives the EFF a percentage of 14,77 in this area.
The EFF also moved into the position of official opposition in the provincial legislature with 12,79 per cent.
The DA pulled 9,77 per cent of the provincial votes.
The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) more than doubled their support in Govan Mbeki, as well as provincially since the 2014 elections.
They received 4,95 per cent of the votes with 4 979 votes cast in their favour within Govan Mbeki Municipality.
There are apparently even two votes for the FF+ cast in Holfontein squatter camp.
Mr Hector Ramoleta, the municipal electoral officer for the IEC in Govan Mbeki Municipality, said the election process locally went very well.
“There were challenges, such as electricity issues in eMbalenhle, but we did have back-up generators in place.”
He confirmed there were minor hiccups, but problems were minimal.
There were concerns raised such as scanners that were not working and ballot papers that ran out. An EFF official was also arrested during the counting process in Leandra.
Mr Ramoleta confirmed this incident and said that a case was opened against the EFF member.
He said the final results in this area were not to be released until Tuesday morning.
Ms Ciska Jordaan, the DA’s caucus leader and MPLC representative in the Govan Mbeki Municipality, said some problems popped up at the voting stations throughout the
Govan Mbeki municipal area, but the IEC were swift to tend to these problems.
This included faulty scanners and not enough charged scanner batteries, as well as a shortage of paper and address forms at some stations.
Voters at the Bethal Town Hall station said that at one stage their ID documents were not scanned and neither were the people who came from another voting area required to fill in forms. They were merely let through.
Ms Jordaan said that irregularities such as these would be picked up on the DA’s online reporting system to which all structures of the party has access.
“The DA on national level has demanded an independent audit be done at all voting stations where there were irregularities, especially after the rumours of double votes in certain areas of the country.
“The party has already handed in more than 2 000 objections to the IEC in terms of the procedures that were not correctly followed.”
According to a media release by the chairperson of the federal council, James Selfe, the DA is satisfied that a proposal submitted along with the UDM, ACDP and Cope to the IEC that aims to conduct an audit at all voting stations where procedural irregularities took place and reports of double voting were made, was accepted by the National Party Liaison Committee.
Ms Aranda Nel-Buitendag, deputy chairperson for the FF+ in the Govan Mbeki Municipality, is elated by the growth of their party at the polls – locally and provincially with the party now obtaining a seat in the provincial legislature.
Ms Nel-Buitendag thanked the voters in the Govan Mbeki Municipality for their support.
“We especially made a huge impact in Bethal,” she said.
The ANC and the EFF abstained from comment at time of going to press. The parties will issue statements within the week.
