Long election queues: ANC says it did not bus people to voting stations

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri says the ruling party was not part of those that bused people to voting stations.

The transporting of voters to voting stations was raised as a factor contributing to the long queues.

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Bhengu-Motsiri said the party did not organise transport for voters to voting stations, and only relied on councillors in the districts to take care of voters in their areas.

“We’ve relied on people who live in those voting districts in line with said rules and regulations. We haven’t had a situation where we had to bus people because it must be people who live in that particular area,” Bhengu Motsiri told Newzroom Afrika.

“We’ve noted some of the glitches associated with long queues. However, we are confident that the IEC is capable of managing this work as best as possible.”

ANC: IEC doing well

Bhengu-Motsiri said the ruling party was satisfied with the work of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

“We are comfortable with the work that the IEC is doing. Recall that a number of party agents who have done this work before, some of whom are members of Sadtu and other civil servants, had to be withdrawn,” said Bhengu-Motsiri.

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“We are also quite alive to the fact that the team that is manning some of the voting stations really need a lot of experience and over time, they will have that experience.

“There has never been a time when the IEC has failed to deliver a successful election in South Africa. We need to give them a chance to conclude this work.”

In a statement on Thursday, the ANC thanked South Africans who braved the cold weather and long queues to cast their votes.

“Despite the many challenges, we are encouraged by the patience and tolerance of South Africans. This is indicative of our resilience and tenacity,” said the ANC.

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“The high turnout confirms the confidence of the South African people in democracy and determination to have a say in the country’s future.

“The ANC looks forward to a clear mandate from voters to continue the work of transforming South Africa and building a better life for all.”

Ruling party leads

As of 12pm on Thursday, 17.54% of votes had been counted across 4 086 of SA’s 23 293 voting districts, IEC results show.

The ANC was leading the pack, with 42.95% of the votes. This is followed the the DA with 25.24% and the EFF with 8.60.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the ANC was struggling against the uMkhonto weSizwe party, which is leading with 42.71% of the votes. This is double the ANC’s support of 21.43%. The IFP is trailing behind the ANC with 15.12%.

GET THE LIVE ELECTION RESULTS HERE.