Despite some glitches of voters who had registered to vote but were not on the voters roll, ballot boxes arriving at polling stations not sealed and ballot papers ending up at the wrong wards, voters still took to voting stations to make their mark on Monday, November 1.
The ANC secured 45.939 per cent of votes with 26 seats in Govan Mbeki Municipality.
The party dropped tremendously from the 2016 local government elections where they had 86.639 per cent votes with 36 council seats.
The ANC was disappointed but accepted the results of the election.
Ms Lindi Masina, ANC Gert Sibande regional secretary, said the results show that “there is no municipality because there’s no party that got 50 per cent or above votes”.
“If we want to establish the municipality, we have to engage other parties but we will be guided by our policies with which party are we colluding.
“We will also be guided by our ANC provincial and national leadership before we can discuss on who to engage,” said Ms Masina.
The DA clinched 29.714 per cent of the votes with 17 seats in GMM.
They reclaimed Ward 28 in Bethal that was previously lost to the ANC in a 2019 by-election and also won Ward 17 in Kinross from the ANC for the first time.
Ms Ciska Jordaan, DA Mpumalanga deputy chairperson, said: “We are grateful to the voters of GMM for putting their trust in DA in the wards that we have won across the municipality and the hope of the people that is placed upon us.
“We now look forward to again serving the community of GMM with excellence and distinction.
The DA grew by two per cent in Mpumalanga.
The EFF received 22.233 per cent of the votes with 13 seats in GMM.
They showed growth by taking four seats more than the previous local government elections.
Mr Wilson Chauke, the party’s regional secretary, said the municipality was run by dictators who impose decisions that only benefitted their corrupt followers and neglected community interest.
He said that although the party showed growth, the results in eMbalenhle have a few stains because of the negligence of the Independent Electoral Commission.
“How can the IEC continue with elections at eMbalenhle Primary School voting station with the wrong ballot papers for seven hours?
“We are still waiting for the answers and which we believe change our results.”
Mr Chauke said GMM is now a hung-municipality with no party having a two-third majority.
“It’s time to form a coalition. Any party that wants to get into talks with us must believe in the expropriation of land without compensation and understand our manifesto.
“We are still waiting for our provincial and national leadership to give direction before we can engage in coalition talks,” said Mr Chauke.
The Freedom Front Plus claimed 4.54 per cent of the votes with three seats in GMM.
The party gained an extra seat in comparison to the previous 2016 election.
Ms Aranda Nel Buitendag of the FF Plus said: “We thank the community who voted for us. It shows that hard work never goes unnoticed.
However, Ms Nel-Buitendag said in all of the wards, half of the community who had registered to vote, did not vote.
“We are happy to have three seats in council. We are here to work hard for the community,” said Ms Nel-Buitendag.
She said that she had seen more support from the community in Kinross this year than in previous years.
National leader for the FF Plus, Dr Pieter Groenewald said the FF Plus’ results in the 2021 local government election “show a phenomenal growth of 242 per cent. This shows that the FF Plus confirms the party as one of the
Big Five role players on the South African political landscape.
“The results are not only a huge victory for the FF Plus, but also for minorities from all over South Africa who have found a home in the party that has gone from strength to strength over the last few years.”
The Azanian Residents Party (ARP) secured two seats in GMM after taking 2.328 per cent of the votes.
African Transformation Movement (ATM) obtained one seat after a 1.463 per cent vote.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) secured one seat after a total of 1.139 per cent votes.
An independent candidate took 1.30 per cent votes but did not secure a seat.
