Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, leading the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), attended a briefing on the recent IEC General Elections’ progress at the Results Operation Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa’s Gallagher Convention Centre.
In his address to the media, Kenyatta expressed appreciation for the South African populace’s patience during significant delays encountered throughout the process.
He commended their resilience and urged continued patience while expressing confidence in the electoral commission’s capability to address and resolve emerging issues.
Kenyatta emphasized his unwavering trust in the electoral system and underscored the importance of maintaining calm and trust in the democratic process.
Preliminary results revealed on Thursday indicated a potential shift in South Africa’s political landscape, with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) possibly losing its parliamentary majority, which it has held for three decades.
Although the ANC appeared poised to retain its status as the largest political entity, such an outcome hinted at the necessity of coalition-building, a novel development in post-apartheid South Africa.
With data from 42.1% of polling stations, the ANC secured 42.7% of votes in Wednesday’s poll, a decline from the 57.5% it garnered in the 2019 election.
The released partial results positioned the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) in second place with 23.6% of the vote.
uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a fledgling party under the leadership of former president Jacob Zuma, garnered 10% of the vote, chipping away at ANC’s support, notably in KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma’s home province and a traditional ANC stronghold.
Additional reportage provided by Reuters.
