By 5pm on Wednesday, over 40% of South Africa's registered voters had cast their ballots in the municipal elections, with approximately 12 million people voting. This represents a significant increase from 3.5 million votes cast by 10am. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) released these preliminary figures during a briefing on Wednesday night. The commission reported that voting was largely orderly in major centers, with long queues forming outside some polling stations.
Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape recorded the highest number of votes, with approximately 3 million, 2.5 million, and 1.5 million votes cast, respectively. The IEC reported a few isolated incidents, but overall, the voting process was progressing well. The commission has up to seven days to declare the final results. These elections will determine the composition of 257 municipal councils responsible for providing essential services such as water, electricity, and roads.
The outcome of the elections will have significant consequences for residents of towns and cities that have experienced deteriorating infrastructure and persistent failures in basic service delivery. The results will also determine whether fragile coalition arrangements in major municipalities, including Johannesburg, survive or give way to new governing partnerships. With no party expected to secure outright control of several major councils, negotiations could prove as consequential as the vote itself.
IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo stated that voting had progressed well across the country, despite a few isolated incidents. The commission made adequate arrangements to ensure the availability of generators and alternative lighting facilities at voting stations in areas that experienced electricity outages. This will ensure that the counting process proceeds without unnecessary disruption. The results could influence coalition arrangements at the national level.
Opinion polls indicate that President Cyril Ramaphosa's ANC will lose ground to the DA, its main rival, and former President Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe Party. The ANC faces particular pressure in KwaZulu-Natal, where the MK has emerged as a formidable challenger. A handful of stations in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as one in Mpumalanga, opened late due to local protests and adverse weather conditions.
The IEC recorded an instance of theft of unused, unmarked ballot papers and ballot validation stamps in ward two in eThekwini in the early hours of the morning. IEC chair Mosotho Moepya assured that the stolen ballots would not be able to find their way into any of their processes. Defend Our Democracy, an independent election-monitoring group, deployed nearly 2,500 observers to over 1,500 voting stations and reported mixed experiences at polling stations.
Waiting times varied, with some communities reporting queues of over three hours, while others completed the process in less than 15 minutes. Some voters were turned away after arriving at stations where they were not registered. Ballots will be counted at the polling stations where they were cast, in the presence of party agents and accredited observers. The final results will be declared once the counting and auditing process is complete.
Key points
- Over 12 million South Africans cast ballots by 5pm in municipal elections.
- The elections will determine the composition of 257 municipal councils.
- The outcome will influence coalition arrangements at the national level.
