Election observers commend South Africa's local government polls as free and fair

The South African Council of Churches, the National Foundations Dialogue Initiative, and the Women's Election Mechanism for Peace deployed 619 observers across nine provinces to monitor the local government elections. In a preliminary statement, they reported that voting was peaceful and orderly, with no major issues of concern. The observers noted that 96 percent of polling stations were peaceful during the day, and police were present at nearly 95 percent of stations observed.

Despite the peaceful voting process, the observer groups expressed regret over incidents of violence before election day, including intimidation and political killings. However, they stated that these incidents did not materially affect the vote. The groups also noted that voter turnout rose to 15.9 million, up from 12.3 million in 2021, but expressed concern over the turnout of 54.5 percent of registered voters.

The observers identified areas for improvement, including long queues at more than 80 percent of stations and technical glitches with the electoral commission's voter management devices. They praised the commission but urged them to improve queue management and processing times. The groups also called on all parties to accept the outcome with political maturity.

The observer groups acknowledged the efforts of the electoral commission in conducting the elections. They noted that the commission's efforts ensured the integrity of the voting process. However, they emphasized the need for the commission to address the issues of long queues and technical glitches.

The Women's Election Mechanism for Peace, one of the observer groups, played a crucial role in monitoring the elections. The group deployed observers across the country to ensure that the voting process was free and fair. Their efforts, along with those of the other observer groups, helped to build trust in the electoral process.

The South African Council of Churches, another observer group, has been actively involved in promoting democracy and human rights in the country. Their involvement in the election observation process helped to ensure that the elections were conducted in a free and fair manner.

A full report on the elections will be released in due course, and the observer groups will continue to monitor the situation. The elections have significant implications for the country's governance and development, and the observer groups' reports will provide valuable insights into the electoral process.

Key points

• The observer groups noted that 96 percent of polling stations were peaceful during the day.
• Voter turnout rose to 15.9 million, up from 12.3 million in 2021.
• The observers identified long queues and technical glitches as areas for improvement.