With voting complete in almost 50% of constituencies across the country, the African National Congress (ANC) is currently leading in seven provinces.
In the Western Cape, with elections now over in 56% of the province's constituencies, the Democratic Alliance (DA) appears to have consolidated its hold in the province, winning 52.4% of the vote.
The new Umkhonto weSizwe party continues to lead in KwaZulu-Natal with 45.4% of the vote, with around 28% of the province's constituencies having finished voting.
In Gauteng, with 32% of the constituencies finished, the ruling party is leading with 35% of the vote. In Limpopo, with 28% of the constituencies finished, the ruling party is leading with 72% of the vote.
Meanwhile, as the number of votes being counted increases by the hour, the number of invalid votes is also increasing.
With 48% of precincts having completed voting, the number of spoiled votes stands at just over 86,500.
Spoiled ballots are considered invalid if they are improperly filled out, as the voter's intent may not be clear.
The video below provides further details on the vote count.
Earlier, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) had called on residents in Umhlathuze Ward 14 and surrounding areas in KwaZulu-Natal to look for IEC-branded ballot boxes which were lost in transport from the Mathamzana Dube School polling station.
Briefing reporters at the National Results Processing Centre, the IEC said the ballots in the boxes had been counted, collated and validated.
The Electoral Commission is calling on residents of Umhlathuze Ward 14 and surrounding areas in KwaZulu-Natal to look for an IEC branded ballot box which was lost during transport from polling station Mathamzana Dube School, Umhlathuze, VD 43412767, KZN282, to City Hall. pic.twitter.com/lTA8FXpDaB
— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) May 30, 2024
Citizens must be reminded that anyone found in possession of a ballot will face criminal prosecution.
IEC general manager Granville Abrahams said: “The commission is required to keep ballot boxes for six months before disposing of them, so we are keen to recover that ballot box so we can keep it. Apparently, the ballot box was transported in an open car.”
“And when we got to our destination, we found that the ballot boxes were gone. However, I want to stress that those votes were counted and recorded in the results,” Abrahams added.
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