With almost 50% of the voting districts completed nationally, the African National Congress (ANC) is so far leading in seven provinces.
The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) hold on the Western Cape seems firm with 52.4% of the votes after 56% of the voting districts completed in the province.
The new uMkhonto weSizwe Party continues to lead in KwaZulu-Natal at 45.4% with almost 28% of the voting districts in that province completed.
The ruling party is leading with 35% of the votes in Gauteng after 32% of voting districts were completed in that province. It is leading with 72% in the Limpopo province with 28% of voting districts completed.
Meanwhile, spoilt votes are rising with the number of votes counted progressing by the hour.
With 48% of voting districts completed, the number of spoilt ballots is at just over 86 500.
Spoilt ballots are deemed as invalid as it may not be clear what the intention of the voter was if it is improperly marked.
The video below reports more on vote counting:
Earlier, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) appealed to citizens in and around Ward 14 uMhlathuze in KwaZulu-Natal, to be on the lookout for an IEC-branded ballot box that went missing in transit from the voting station at Matamzana Dube School.
Briefing the media at the National Results Operation Centre, the IEC says the ballots in the box have been counted, reconciled and validated.
The Electoral Commission appeals to citizens in and around Ward 14 uMhlathuze, in KwaZulu-Natal, to be on the lookout for an IEC branded ballot box that went missing in transit from the voting station Matamzana Dube School in VD 43412767, KZN282, uMhlathuze, to the municipal… pic.twitter.com/lTA8FXpDaB
— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) May 30, 2024
Citizens are reminded that anyone found to be in possession of ballots will face criminal prosecution.
IEC General Manager Granville Abrahams says, “The commission is required to retain ballot boxes for a period of six months before disposing of them. So we are quite eager to get back that ballot box so that it can go into storage. It was apparently transferred on an open vehicle.”
“And by the time we got to the destination, we discovered that that ballot box had been gone. But I wish to emphasise those votes have been counted and they have been recorded on the results,” adds Abrahams.
2024 Elections | Polls framed as most important since apartheid:
