The high-stakes meeting between the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in Nkandla on Monday ended without key issues being resolved.

The meeting was part of the IEC’s stakeholder outreach programme in KwaZulu-Natal ahead of the highly anticipated 4 November local government elections.

The IEC wanted the MKP’s cooperation in ensuring a peaceful and credible election, while the MKP used the meeting to raise “concerns” about the 2024 elections and its lack of trust in the commission.

In its previous outreach programme in the province almost two weeks ago, the IEC met Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli, traditional leaders including King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, leaders of political parties including the ANC, IFP and NFP, faith-based formations and civil society organisations.

The IEC said the engagements provided a constructive platform to exchange views on the state of democracy, electoral readiness, and the collective responsibility to foster a peaceful and credible electoral environment in the province.

After the meeting with the IEC, the MKP issued a statement saying no formal agreement had been reached at this stage, but that both parties had agreed to continue discussions.

“As a critical stakeholder in the upcoming 2026 Local Government Elections, the MK Party engaged the IEC with a clear commitment to strengthening electoral integrity and ensuring that the democratic will of the people is fully respected,” it said.

“The deliberations reflected a mutual willingness to engage, although no formal agreement was reached at this stage. Both parties have, however, agreed on the importance of continued dialogue and will convene a follow-up meeting to further advance discussions on key issues,” it said.

The party also said that it would proceed with its “legal and constitutional processes” against the IEC over its disputed claims relating to the 2024 national and provincial elections, with one of the matters expected to be heard in June.

“The MK Party reiterates that it will proceed with its legal and constitutional processes regarding allegations of stolen votes and vote rigging against the IEC.

“This course of action remains essential in safeguarding the credibility of South Africa’s electoral system and ensuring accountability. The MK Party remains resolute in its commitment to defending the voice of the people and will continue to engage all relevant institutions in pursuit of free, fair, and transparent elections,” it said.

The statement was issued after sources told Inside Politics that MKP leaders had insisted during the meeting that the 2024 elections were “stolen” from the party and that it had lost faith in the IEC to conduct free and fair elections in November.

The party has called for the upcoming local government elections to be postponed until the legal challenges have been adjudicated and ruled upon.

Although the IEC had not yet issued a formal statement after the meeting with the MKP, its chairperson, Mosotho Moepya, told the SABC shortly afterwards that no agreement had been reached.

“I don’t pretend to be speaking for the party; I am sure they will speak, but we walk with clarity, with our heads held high. Do we have solutions for everything? No. We must fashion solutions to things, but we will not be able to fashion those solutions without engaging…” he said.

“The elections coming in November are elections that will require concerted preparations from all electoral stakeholders.”

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The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on Friday warned that voter confidence in democracy has fallen sharply in KwaZulu-Natal, after a new HSRC survey found rising political disengagement, economic dissatisfaction, and weakening trust in electoral institutions.

The findings form part of the IEC-commissioned Voter Participation Survey, conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council, and the KZN-focused report titled What is happening in KwaZulu-Natal? Electoral Integrity, Civic Duty and Disillusionment.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya said the survey provided the commission with an important barometer of public sentiment ahead of the forthcoming local government elections.

The findings were presented during a press conference in Durban after a week-long IEC visit to KwaZulu-Natal, where commissioners met stakeholders including Zulu King Misuzulu kaZwelithini, Premier Thami Ntuli and political parties including the ANC, IFP, National Freedom Party and EFF.

Moepya said meetings with the MK Party and the DA would be held at a later stage after the two parties requested postponements.

He said the findings showed that support for democracy as the preferred political system was no longer held by a majority of adults in KwaZulu-Natal, making it necessary for the commission to engage stakeholders in the province and seek lasting solutions.

“The study highlights declining trust in key political institutions, growing political disengagement, and rising voter disillusionment.

“KZN is among the provinces recording the sharpest decline in confidence in democracy. These trends underscore why the commission’s presence in the province this week has been both necessary and urgent,” Moepya said.

The report found that support for democracy as the preferred political system had fallen to 43% in KwaZulu-Natal, from 65% in 2015.

It also found that satisfaction with how democracy was working in the province had dropped severely, from 54% in 2004 to just 6% in 2025, compared with a national average of 17%.

Moepya said most adults still supported democratic values, but many felt democracy was not working well in practice.

“Economic dissatisfaction is very high in the province, with 88% unhappy about current conditions. The same proportion expect the economy to worsen in the next five years. 60% say life in their communities has worsened over the last five years,” he said.

He said the IEC had also not been spared, with those surveyed in the province expressing low confidence in the commission.

“Trust levels in the Electoral Commission have not been spared. On this metric, it is lowest in KwaZulu-Natal at 20%. The national average being 32%. There is a clear electoral divide with persons who voted in elections assessing the Electoral Commission more favorable than those who did not vote.”

Moepya said the commission was working to address concerns raised by political parties during the 2024 national and provincial elections, as it anticipated a difficult election period ahead.

“On its part, the commission reassured stakeholders that challenges experienced in the 2024 elections have or are in the process of being remedied.

“The commission has taken concrete steps to address concerns arising from the 2024 elections, including measures to reduce long queues, improvements to the Voters’ Roll App and the results leader board in the results centres, and subjecting the Voter Management Device to rigorous stress testing and independent audit to ensure its reliability and integrity,” he added.

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Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema on Sunday accused the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) of rigging and deliberate misrecording of election results, saying the party needed “vigilant” agents and stronger systems to monitor voting processes.

“The IEC, amongst its staff members, there are thugs and their role is to steal votes. So that is why we need vigilant men and women who are never tired, who understand they must pay attention to [the finer] details if you are dealing with thugs,” Malema said.

He was speaking at the closing session of the EFF’s second plenum of its 3rd National People’s Assembly at the Birchwood Hotel in Gauteng, after a three-day gathering focused on political objectives and preparing for local government elections.

He said the party should develop a tracking system to monitor the locations of party agents throughout election observation duties, adding that voting-station work is susceptible to human error and that the IEC’s actions must be verified by EFF representatives.

Malema also criticised “permanent elections”, saying frequent by-elections were wasteful and distracted poor communities with constant campaigning.

“We need to fight this thing of permanent elections. In South Africa elections are every Wednesday. Every Wednesday there is a by-election which is expensive [in the same way that general elections are expensive] if not worse,” he said.

He said the policy of by-elections should change so that a vacant councillor post created by death or resignation could be filled by a replacement from the party the councillor represented, as voters choose parties rather than individuals.

Malema told party deployees in municipalities and provincial governments to prioritise fighting corruption and poverty.

“[W]e have a duty to fight corruption and to declare corruption as enemy number one. Instead of the DA declaring the EFF as enemy number one, they should be declaring corruption, poverty, as enemy number one because that is what it is; the enemy number one of this country is corruption that leads to poverty.”

He also called for tougher action against Israel, saying the decision to declare Israel’s chargé d’affaires persona non grata should be followed by closing the Israeli embassy.

He said the United States should be blamed for supporting and arming Israel.

“There is no Israel that is attacking Palestine. Palestine is being attacked by America. For as long as America supports Israel’s attack on Palestine, then it must be blamed for the children who are dying in Palestine,” Malema said.

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The African National Congress’ renewal must be more than a superficial change as it requires fundamental transformation of leadership and governance, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said on Tuesday.

“Renewal is not cosmetic; it is a radical overhaul of how we lead, organise and serve. It means uprooting the culture of complacency, factionalism and gatekeeping, and replacing it with a disciplined, accountable and [an] activist movement,” Mbalula told reporters in Johannesburg.

The launch of the party’s smart membership card was highlighted as a historic step towards restoring the ANC to its members, promoting integrity and empowerment within the ANC.

Furthermore, he reiterated political education would be a key pillar of this renewal, with the introduction of a foundational course for all party structures to create ideologically grounded leaders capable of driving transformation.

“We are training a new generation of cadres who are grounded, ideologically clear, and ready to lead transformation,” Mbalula said.

Addressing concerns about the ANC’s financial health, Mbalula admitted to challenges, including delayed salary payments, but assured that fundraising efforts were ongoing.

He rejected claims of bankruptcy, emphasising that the party complied with the Independent Electoral Commission’s financial disclosure requirements.

On governance negotiations within the Government of National Unity, Mbalula acknowledged ongoing discussions on devolution and operational strategies.

He reiterated that the ANC remained committed to constructive engagement while opposing any move that weakened the party’s transformative agenda.

Mbalula said that with major infrastructure initiatives, political restructuring and policy reforms on the horizon, the party aimed to strengthen its position ahead of its national general council on 8-12 December 2025.04.01

The party’s NEC met over the weekend.

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The Economic Freedom Fighters have criticised the Independent Electoral Commission’s plan to introduce electronic voting in South Africa, describing it as premature.

The party warns that the move could undermine the integrity and reliability of the electoral system, raising concerns about transparency and fairness in future elections.

“This attempt, first raised in 2013 and now resurfacing, is premature as it will compromise the integrity, accessibility and reliability of our electoral system,” EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo said in statement on Tuesday.

Thambo asserted that South Africa lacked the infrastructure for electronic voting, with millions, especially in rural areas, lacking access to digital devices or reliable internet.

Less than 75% of the population has internet access, and high mobile data costs further limit digital accessibility.

“The reality is that electronic voting in South Africa will only deepen inequality and disenfranchise millions of voters, particularly the poor and working class, due to the country’s deep digital divide,” he added.

This follows Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber telling an IEC Conference & Exhibition on Electronic Voting Technologies on Monday that the Home Affairs ecosystem has initiated a strategic reform journey cantered on digital transformation.

He further emphasised that by the 2029 national and provincial elections, the goal was to establish a fully operation digital ID system.

“It goes without saying that IEC systems will need to be updated to interact with new Home Affairs solutions, such as digital ID and the verifiable credential. It is therefore important that, at a technical level, the IEC participates in the process of developing these new systems to ensure full interoperability,” Schreiber added.

According to Schreiber, South Africa has a strong history of fair elections which he attributed to the IEC. However, the declining voter turnout and rising radicalism, threatened public trust in democracy.

“Ultimately, it must be the goal of reform – digital or otherwise – to deliver a better experience to the end user if we are to protect the credibility and legitimacy of our elections,” Schreiber added

Meanwhile, the EFF said that the IEC has a history of technological failures that could not be overlooked. It noted that during the 2024 polls, voter management devices frequently malfunctioned, which caused delays and weakening public trust.

Additionally, the IEC’s website was unreliable, often crashing when the nation depended on it for real-time results.

“If the IEC cannot guarantee the reliability of these basic verification systems and a website, there is no reason to trust them with a complete overhaul to an electronic voting system,” said Thambo.

The EFF further said that the ongoing electricity crisis threatened the feasibility of electronic voting. With frequent blackouts and an unstable power grid, relying on a system dependent on electricity and digital access was risky.

Without reliable power, electronic voting could lead to widespread voter suppression.

“…the IEC must focus on real and practical reforms that enhance electoral participation. The most immediate and effective solution is to implement automatic voter registration for all citizens once they turn 18,” said Thambo.

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Parliament has heard rising calls for an increase in the upper limit for donations and the disclosure threshold of political party funding donors.

The Home Affairs Portfolio Committee convened public hearings on proposed amendments to the Political Party Funding Act (PPFA), which aims to regulate private donations to political parties and ensure transparency in political financing.

Committee chair Mosa Chabane described the hearings as providing an opportunity for the public to make inputs that would guide decisions taken by Parliament on the threshold on political funding

“Public participation is the bedrock of South Africa’s constitutional democracy and Parliament has committed to ensuring meaningful public participation by ensuring that the views and aspirations are reflected in decisions made in Parliament,” Chabane said.

This follows a resolution in September to open a public consultation process on the draft motion addressing donation limits and disclosure thresholds.

The draft motion proposes a donation cap of R15 million per financial year and a disclosure threshold of R100,000, as stipulated in the Electoral Matters Amendment Act.

Stakeholders, including the Congress of South African Trade Unions, My Vote Counts, the Inkatha Freedom Party and the ANC presented their submissions during the virtual meeting.

The submissions revealed a range of views on the balance between transparency, accountability and practical political funding needs.

Cosatu called for the removal of disclosure thresholds, arguing that all donations should be declared to eliminate opportunities for corruption.

Acting Parliamentary coordinator Matthew Parks said that the federation supported raising donation caps to address inflation, but tied this to full disclosure of all contributions.

“We need to allow parties to fundraise and hence it makes sent to increase the limit on donations. It is equally critical to maintain the transparency and anti-corruption objectives and mechanisms of the Act by maintaining the requirement to disclose donations and in fact to require all donations to be disclosed,” Parks said.

The MVC advocated for stricter regulations, suggesting lower donation caps and full disclosure of all contributions.

Senior researcher Joel Bergman highlighted potential undue influence from high-value donors and urged Parliament to research political party expenditures to determine context-specific funding limits.

“There must be a balancing of the rights of access to information, to exercise political rights, and for our political system to be free from undue influence, on the one hand, and the rights of parties and independents to solicit private funding on the other,” Bergman said.

The IFP’s Busaphi Machi supported the current R15 million per financial year upper limit as a means of fostering fairness among parties and independent candidates.

Machi backed the R100,000 threshold, stating that it ensured transparency by enabling accountability for the activities of independent candidates or political parties, as their actions could be evaluated against the funding they have received.

The ANC supported doubling the donation cap and raising the disclosure threshold to alleviate administrative burdens and reflect economic realities.

However, it reiterated the need for transparency to maintain public trust in the democratic process.

The Independent Electoral Commission also participated in the discussions.

Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo noted that the R15 million cap was established through a parliamentary process, but suggested that any review should be based on rational deliberation rather than allegations.

The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference expressed concern over the influence of wealthy donors, but acknowledged a lack of concrete evidence to suggest undue influence.

It advocated for regulations that prevented such risks while allowing parties to fundraise effectively.

The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) highlighted the challenges of balancing donor transparency with the practical funding needs of political parties.

PBO director Dumisani Jantjies recommended further research into global best practices, inflation-adjusted limits and the actual costs of campaign activities.

Committee members emphasised the urgency of finalising the regulations to provide clarity and determination regarding transparency.

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Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has warned of government’s ever rising debt, as he forecast GDP growth of 1.1% in the current financial year, while over the medium-term growth is estimated to average 1.8.%

Delivering his medium-term budget in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Godongwana revealed the forecasted growth for the current year was lower than predicted in February.

Godongwana warned that government debt has risen too fast and was too high. It was also rising faster than economic growth.

“We are anticipating that government debt will reach more than R6.05 trillion, or 75.5% of GDP in 2025/26. We know that our debt is unsustainable, because debt-service costs have become the largest component of our spending and it is rising faster than economic growth.

“Debt service costs will reach R388.9 billion in the current financial year,” he warned.

The minister explained that this simply meant that for every rand of the revenue that the government raised this year, 22 cents of it was servicing debt.

He added that to mitigate this problem, the government has had to take difficult steps to reduce the budget deficit, including restraining spending and maintaining a stable tax collection.

As a result of these measures, government achieved a primary budget surplus in 2023/24, for the first time in 15 years.

“The primary surplus will be sufficient for debt to stabilise at 75.5% in 2025/26. Debt will then decline over the rest of this decade. The key impact of this is that debt service costs will also stabilise and begin to decline over the next few years,” he said.

In his revenue adjustments and medium-term outlook, Godongwana said tax revenue for 2024/25 was expected to be R22.3 billion lower than what was estimated in February.

Further, in the next two years, the main budget revenue estimate has also been lowered by R31.2 billion. Due to slow growth and external risks, tax revenue will remain under pressure.

“Lower revenue also means that we cannot, within the envelope, accommodate all of the demands on the fiscus. Difficult trade-offs, in all spheres of government, will have to be made.

“By sticking to our debt-reducing strategy and confronting these trade-offs, we can create the necessary conditions for a fast-growing economy that facilitates employment,” he said.

In the budget allocation, he said government proposed allocating 47.9% of available non-interest spending to national departments, 42.3% to provinces and 9.8% to local government in 2025/26.

Godongwana was optimistic that despite weaker revenue, the most immediate spending pressures would be addressed.

He announced increased expenditure mainly for the following:

 • Rollovers from the previous financial year to the value of R2.1 billion

 • R2.7 billion expenditure that was announced at the time of the main budget, mainly for the Covid-19 social relief of distress grant

 • Unforeseeable and unavoidable expenditure of R2.1 billion, mainly for disaster relief.

 • A special appropriation bill that mostly covers Sanral’s obligations related to phase 1 of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Programme. A large part of this appropriation is made possible by the Gauteng government honouring its R3.8 billion contribution to the debt this year.

The minister added that over the medium term, consolidated expenditure was expected to increase from R2.4 trillion in 2024/25 to R2.8 trillion in 2027/28.

“Our democracy is underpinned by strong independent arms of the state. The medium-term spending adjustments are aimed at maintaining the integrity of key institutions and improving state capability.

“It seeks to build a capable state that delivers a reasonable and reliable standard of public service that will foster the necessary environment for more growth and jobs.

“For this reason, additional funding is proposed for Parliament and the Office of the Chief Justice, mostly to enhance operational capacity in the running of these important institutions,” he proposed.

Other institutions to get additional funding are the Independent Electoral Commission to prepare for the 2026 local government elections and the SA Revenue Service to enhance efficiencies to collect tax.

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In a significant development, the City of Tshwane has welcomed Nasiphi Moya as its new mayor, marking a new era of governance and stability. 

The Portfolio Committee on Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has commended the seamless transition, citing collaborative efforts among political parties and stakeholders.

“The successful collaboration among the parties involved has ensured that Tshwane remains functional and that its residents continue to receive the services they deserve,” said Cogta portfolio committee chairperson Mzi Khumalo.

“The success of the mayoral appointment process reflects the importance of unity and constructive dialogue among political stakeholders,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

Moya was elected as the new mayor in a special council meeting in Pretoria on Wednesday. This followed the Democratic Alliance’s Cilliers Brink being removed as mayor through an ANC-sponsored no-confidence vote two weeks ago.

Moya secured a decisive victory with 122 votes, outpacing Brink who garnered 86 votes.

The appointment followed a period of political turbulence in the city, and Khumalo expressed optimism about the new administration’s focus on service delivery.

“We trust that under the new administration, there will be a renewed focus on addressing the pressing service delivery challenges facing the city,” Khumalo said.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) oversaw the election process, ensuring its integrity and transparency.

The committee applauded the IEC’s role in facilitating a smooth transition.

Moya’s appointment is expected to bring renewed focus on addressing pressing service delivery challenges facing the city. 

Residents have long awaited improvements in essential services such as water, sanitation and public transport.

The committee has pledged to support the department in fostering good governance, transparency and accountability in the City of Tshwane.

As Tshwane embarks on this new chapter, all eyes will be on Moya’s administration to deliver on its promises.

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The leader of one of the newbies – Rise Mzansi’s Songezo Zibi – while speaking on Thursday evening at the Results Operation Centre in Midrand said he remained confident that his mission to create a political landscape without the ruling party, is accomplished.

Launched at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg in April last year, by former Business Day editor and Rivonia Circle founder Zibi; the party seemed promising in its campaigning – attracting young leaders and preaching a no-nonsense, progressive message of change.

However despite not attaining the dizzy heights of political success as anticipated, Rise’s leadership has expressed the hope of achieving long term goals, culminating in the 2029 elections.

Rise Mzansi’s Gauteng provincial convener, Tebogo Moalusi, said the party was aiming to redefine the way the country understood the political landscape and said it was already looking ahead to the future.

“We want to make sure that going forward, this is just the beginning. We have by-elections that will be coming, we’ve got the local government elections in 2026, and 2029 has always been one of our big goals,” Moalusi said.

Zibi said the people have for a long time not imagined a South Africa without the ANC in power, as the majority party, as a dominant political force, and now they could.

“That’s one of the reasons we started in this election, understanding that it is a long journey, five to ten years, to success. For us, it’s important to reach a national presence. It’s important to put a score on the board,” Zibi said.

He said that it remains important to remember that the party’s main support emanated from the metropolitans and so more time was needed in order to gauge election results.

Party chief organiser Makashule Gana said he is encouraged by the party’s performance in battling voter apathy.

“That’s what encourages me. We gave hope to many South Africans, people who, if Rise Mzansi was not on the ballot, they could have decided not to vote,” Gana said, adding that theirs was an emotional journey and praised the success of the party in the short time it has existed.

He expressed his gratitude to everyone who believed in the party’s vision to build a safe and prosperous country for all in one generation and echoing remarks made by Songezo Zibi earlier this year, Gana said RM’s journey does not end here but would continue building its movement.

“For me this continues. Tomorrow we wake up and continue in this mission”.

So far nationally, the party has received 14 010 votes, 0.34% of the national ballot.

In Gauteng, it is currently holding 0.88% of the vote, 0.36% of the Western Cape, and 0.07% of kwaZulu-Natal.

But Mzansi was not alone on this lonely path. There were as many as 50 political parties contesting the 29 May National and General Elections, a large number of them formed just a few months before May, including Rise, and failed to make a cut in the list of the top 10 political parties.

There were also as many independent candidates in the mix, which is why for the first time in our history of democratic elections, we had three long ballot papers, to try and ensure everyone was accommodated.

Among the list of “they also ran” was the GOOD party formed Patricia de Lille party, Build One South Africa, Xiluva, The African Congress for Transformation (ACT) founded in August 2023 for ANC SG Ace Magashule, former SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s African Content Movement and CCC among other parties.

However, with almost 70% of the votes having been counted, the support for de Lille’s GOOD party is dismal, getting a combined 0.23% of the national vote, 1.05% in its traditional stronghold, the Western Cape and 0.42% in the Northern Cape.

Former Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane’s Build One South Africa party, started off with optimism and hope. In a Obama-meets-Mandela-esque portrayal, the party sought to build on the personal charisma of Maimane.

However, preliminary reports seem to indicate a similar loss of any serious support from the electorate across the country.

BOSA is currently standing at 0.39% of the national vote, with 0.78% in Gauteng and 0.37% in Western Cape.

Maimane however, is philosophical about his loss saying every party counted in the South African system and that proportional representation could work to facilitate smaller constituencies into the fold.

“What I can say is that post these elections, there will be an amalgamation of parties. What we know is that each party will bring everyone together and work towards the future of this country,” Maimane said.

Xiluva was founded by former Midvaal Mayor Bongani Baloyi in March last year and the party held high hopes that it would receive a decent number of votes.

Currently sitting at 0.2% of the national ballot, their support does not go above that number in any of the provinces.

Despite the shockingly low count, the party seemed to have maintained a happy face.

“We, as Xiluva, would like to extend our sincere gratitude and say thank you to all who took their time and went out to vote yesterday. Thank you for entrusting us with your vote. Now, we wait for the final count and announcement,” Baloyi said.

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Despite complaints of sabotage and technical glitches being lodged by the country’s three top political parties, as well as frustrations and even conflict from voters, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has commenced the counting of ballots.

The IEC has reported this morning that “there has been an update of completed and audited results @IECSouthAfrica. We’re at 5.53% of the results and will start providing projections soon” in its latest update.

The IEC said that the majority of voting stations closed late last night due to long queues of voters that required clearing.

More than 26 million eligible voters were expected to cast their votes for the national and provincial elections, which kicked off on Monday with special votes and ended in the early hours of Thursday morning at some voting stations where the majority of the votes were cast, with a total of 52 political parties taking part.

So far the African National Congress (ANC) is leading with 53.7%, the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 20.3%, and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 7.8%.

However it remains important to remember that these figures are preliminary and not a complete representation of results, the IEC said.

IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo briefed the media at the Results Operations Center in Gallagher Convention Centre on Wednesday evening and confirmed that no provision was made for a second day of elections, denying claims of deliberate delays on the part of the commission.

Even as Mamabolo was addressing the media, scenes from long queues in some of the centres around Joburg were being flighted on social media. Voting in some centres were hampered by ID scanners that were not functioning while other areas such as Soweto were said to have been affected by loadshedding after an outage at an Orlando East substation.

In the Eastern Cape, reports said voting at five stations didn’t happen because of service delivery protests even after the police and local authorities tried to intervene.

Some have said the IEC underestimated the impact of elections and should take the blame, considering some voting stations were not operational even by 9 in the morning.

ANC first deputy secretary general Nomvula Mokonyane said the recent changes in electoral protocol and the collapse of scanners at voting stations across the country has caused issues for many who cast their vote.

“There have been issues that had to do with the glitches and the new rules that the IEC has attended to. The issues were about the voter management devices that were dysfunctional,” Mokonyane said.

EFF premier candidate for Gauteng, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi criticised the logistical problems at several voting stations, especially university campuses across the country, with power outages, lack of lighting and delays plaguing the students’ experience of casting their vote.

DA leader John Steenhuisen thanked the nation for participating, but said the challenges faced by voters remained alarming.

“We are deeply concerned about the frustrations caused by issues relating to voter management devices, ballot paper shortages, long queues and other issues with the IEC’s systems,” Steenhuisen said.

However, Mamabolo said it was not clear which provinces would be the first to send the results, but the commission’s leader board would start reflecting results as soon as audited votes start coming in.

He said in past elections, the results would come in at around 1 in the morning but because of the multiple ballots, it would take longer this year.

IEC deputy CEO Masego Sheburi said the results are expected to be released by Sunday.

“The Commission plans to release the results on the fourth day, not because we are not prepared, but because we want to factor in the third ballot to deal with the 50 percent additional work imposed by the third ballot,” Sheburi said.

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