Good evening

The Electoral Commission is mandated by our Constitution to manage elections, ensure these are free and fair and to announce the results in as short a period as is reasonably possible.

We have once again risen to the occasion and are here tonight to certify the results for the 2016 Municipal Elections within three days of the elections.

But none of this would be possible without the collaboration and support of all our many and varied partners in the electoral democracy process.

On behalf of the Electoral Commission I would like to express our gratitude and pay tribute to all these stakeholders for the vital role they played in this journey.

This has been a long, winding and meandering road full of potholes.

Your Excellency Mr President on behalf of the Electoral Commission allow me to thank you for your support and the support of all the various Ministers and government departments that played a key supportive role in our electoral process.

In particular we thank Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs the Honourable Mr Des van Rooyen and his deputy ministers the Honourable Mr Obed Bapela and the Honourable Mr Andries Nel for their constant support and collaboration.

We want to express our gratitude to all of them.

The Department of Home Affairs is another key stakeholder that has ensured currency in our voters’ roll. The Commission uses its National Population Register to maintain an up-to-date voters’ roll. We are perpetually grateful to you Minister of Home Affairs the Honourable Mr Malusi Gigaba and your Director General Mr Mkuseli Apleni.

The security cluster and the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Elections under the Chairpersonship of the Honourable Minister Des van Rooyen provided key interface for the Electoral Commission into key state structures which are vital for the security of any election.

We are especially thankful for the cooperation and support of the South African Police Services, the South African National Defence Force and the National Intelligence Agency – working through the NATJOINTS and PROVJOINTS.

We went into these elections anxious and concerned about pockets of instability and violence that were experienced in certain parts of our country.

Security forces provided enormous support to the Electoral Commission – not only during registration but also during voting.

You played an important role in ensuring that the environment within which these elections took place was conducive to free and fair elections.

The metro police and traffic authorities throughout the country assisted us greatly by ensuring our election materials including ballot papers could reach our voting stations safely. The ballot papers as I always say is our most precious commodity in the hands of an Electoral Management Body.

We are grateful that you assisted us and in instances where there was a need for intervention you acted swiftly.

We are grateful for the support and work of non-profit organisations, religious and faith-based organisations, traditional leaders and the many other civil society organisations that worked with us to ensure conditions conducive to free and fair elections. A special word of thanks to the National Co-Ordinating Forum and its members.

There are many people in our society who labour under a misapprehension that the intervention of the judiciary in the electoral process demonstrates irregularities in our processes.

The judiciary is there to assist in the interpretation and application of the law. At times is points out to us and the legislature where further consideration of the legislation would be wise.

We would like to express our thanks and gratitude to the Chief Justice Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, the Constitutional Court and the Electoral Court and its Chairperson Judge Jeremiah Shongwe for the attention given to issues ahead of this election which have allowed us to resolve issues rapidly.

It is no exaggeration to say that were it not for the wisdom of the Constitutional Court in finding a solution to the Section 16 (3) challenge we faced ahead of these elections, it would have been difficult to manage this process.

Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, the Electoral Commission wishes to express its gratitude to you and other Justices of the Constitutional Court for finding an extraordinary solution to the challenge we faced with the voters’ roll ahead of these elections.

Even though we like all of you we would prefer not to see you in Court anytime soon again.

We are also grateful for the participation of observer groups in this election. Observers play an important role in the creation of an environment conducive to free and fair elections.

The fact that you took part in this process played a crucial role in safeguarding the integrity of our process.

We will go through their reports and identify learning points that we can use in our preparations for 2019 National and Provincial Elections.

During these elections we had more than 60 domestic organisations and three international observer missions which included the Electoral Commission Forum of SADC Countries.

Central to the success of any election are the political parties and candidates of which we had a record number in this election.

The party liaison committee structure – at national, provincial and local level – continues to serve our electoral democracy well as a forum for the exchange of information and as a clearing house for key issues before they become contentious.

Members of the PLC played an important role when we dealt with Section 65 objections.

The Electoral Commission is grateful to all of the political parties and their leaders for all the cooperation and support.

Programme Director allow me to thank service providers and partners in the private sector that assisted us in running this election.

I want to particularly thank our key sponsors for this election  – Telkom and Accenture.

Efficient and effective communications lie at the heart of any election and were it not for the communications and IT infrastructure they helped us with we would not have been able to produce and announce the results within 48 hours after voting.

We are also indebted to Eskom for its support and constant presence here at the ROC. Your being here gave us comfort that in case of any emergency you would be able to intervene immediately.

We also continue to enjoy a close relationship with the SABC in conducting voter and civic education. You were an anchor in communicating and disseminating information throughout the country.

Thank you to the Minister for Communications the Honourable Ms Faith Muthambi and the SABC Board for their support.

Then to the staff of the Electoral Commission I would like to offer our deepest gratitude as the Commission for the extraordinary lengths to which you are willing to go to make sure every election in free and fair.

You remain the Electoral Commission’s greatest asset and the foundation on which we build our success. Thank you for your passion, your commitment and your never-say-die attitude no matter how much pressure is applied.

You are a credit to South Africa.

Finally, ladies and gentlemen, our most humble thanks to the voters of South Africa who ultimately make our democracy work.

More than 15 million voters came out in freezing weather to support our democracy this week.  We are humbled and deeply grateful.

I am well aware that Nelson Mandela has been a contested character during these elections. But allow me to conclude by quoting this great South African:

I have walked that long road to freedom, I have tried not to falter I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.

I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come

But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities and I dare not linger for my long walk is not ended.

I thank you