Welcome and introduction
It is my
honour and privilege to welcome you all to the official announcement of the
results of the 2016 Municipal Elections.
There
have been many times over the past few months when I thought this day might
never come.
There
were some days when I hoped this day would never come.
And there
were other days when I wondered whether I and the IEC would survive to see this
day come.
Today is
here. And so are we.
We are
here today because the people of South Africa will not be denied democracy.
We are here
because the political parties of South Africa- despite their differences and
their hard-fought campaigns - ultimately respect the law, the electoral process
in our country and the will of the people.
And we
are here because the staff and volunteers of the Electoral Commission are a
remarkable group of people who will not allow any obstacle or challenge to
stand in the way of our country’s progression and continued success.
It is a
group of proud South Africans whom it has been my singular privilege to work
with in preparing for and delivering the largest and most highly complex and
competitive election our country has yet seen.
The 2016
Municipal Elections are without doubt the toughest test we have faced as an
institution since the dawn of our democracy 22 years ago.
I am
proud and pleased to say that I believe we have faced this test and – dare I
say it – we have aced this test!
In the
lead up to these elections we set ourselves some goals:
- We wanted to register at least 1 million new voters
for these elections. We registered 1.3 million new voters and a record 26.3
million in total.
- We wanted to make it easier and more convenient for
voters to apply for special votes. A
record 740 000 voters – almost three times that of 2011 – applied for special
votes - with more than half using the internet or SMS to apply
- We wanted to make it easier for parties and candidates
to register. A record number of parties and candidates contested these
elections – many of whom used our online candidate nomination system to submit
nominations
- We wanted to exceed the voter turnout levels of the
previous municipal election in 2011 which was 57.6 percent. We achieved a voter
turnout of exactly 58 percent
- We wanted to reduce the number of spoiled ballots
from 1.89 percent in 2011. It reduced to 1.83 percent
Each
election the Human Sciences Research Council conducts research on behalf of the
Electoral Commission on the voter experience.
The
preliminary findings of this Voter Satisfaction Survey conducted at 300 voting
stations on Election Day showed that:
- 96 percent of voters believed the voting process to
be free and fair
- 96 percent voiced general satisfaction with the quality
of services rendered by election staff
- And 92% indicated they trust or strongly trust the
Electoral Commission
On
average, voters waited just 16 minutes in the queue before voting.
I am not
saying this election was without incident or challenge nor that there are no
areas for improvement.
This
election – like all those before it - has provided as steep learning curve and many
lessons for us as the Electoral Commission and for all other stakeholders.
But those
discussions and that introspection is for another day.
Today we
can allow ourselves as South Africans a moment of satisfaction in knowing that
the fundamental values of our Constitution continue to hold fast and our
democracy continues to thrive and prosper.
We are a
nation which may appear to those beyond our borders – and indeed to ourselves
on occasion - as divided and fractious.
But when
tested we continue to rise to the occasion and remain proudly South African and
fiercely democratic.
In a
moment I will call on the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission Mr Glen
Mashinini to announce the results of the 2016 Municipal Elections.
The
results he will announce will unfortunately not include those for the City of
Johannesburg. Results for a number of wards in Johannesburg were still being
finalised late this afternoon.
Fortunately
these being Municipal Elections, we can still announce all the other results.
So allow
me now to invite the Chairperson Mr Mashinini to address you.
Thank you