• Your Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa
• First Lady Dr Tshepo Ramaphosa
• Deputy President David Mabuza
• The Speaker of Parliament
• The Deputy Speaker of Parliament
• Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, the Minister of Home Affairs
• Members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee
• DEPUTY MINISTERS PRESENT
• DIRECTORS-GENERAL PRESENT
• Heads of State Institutions and Security Cluster
• LEADERS AND REPRESENTATIVES OF ALL POLITICAL PARTIES
• Dr Ayo Odusola of the UNDP
• Mr Daniel Changaru – Elections Forum of Zimbabwe
• Ms Pontso Matele – Elections Forum of Lesotho
• CHAPTER 9 AND 10 INSTITUTIONS
• MEMBERS OF THE DIPLOMATIC CORPS
• DOMESTIC AND CONTINENTAL OBSERVERS
• The leadership of the National House of Traditional Leaders
• All NGOs and faith-based missions present
• FELLOW COMMISSIONERS
  • Vice Chair of the Electoral Commission Janet Love
  • Commissioners Mosotho Moepya, Dr Nomsa Masuku and Judge Daya Pillay
  • Mr Sy Mamabolo, CEO, his EXCO and staff of the Electoral Commission
  • Members of the media

His Excellency, President of the Republic of South Africa, Fellow Compatriots

The 2021 Municipal Elections have tested us, as a nation, in many ways.

The Electoral Commission, political parties, independent candidates and voters were all faced with a number of challenges. To name but a few:

• The Covid-19 pandemic
• Truncated time frame
• Bad weather
• Power interruptions
• Logistical glitches

Despite these challenges, we achieved our innovative objectives of taking our electoral system to the next level of automation through the introduction of the voter management device, which has put paid to  the possibility that there could ever be allegations double voting.

The fact that we are here today, having delivered these elections is an achievement we should all be proud of as a nation. Our thriving, vibrant and maturing democracy has indeed withstood the test thrown at it.

The Commission – this pre-eminent independent electoral institution – is proud that it is still flying high the banner of electoral integrity, excellence as well as free and fair elections.

And for that we are indebted and grateful to all our employees, the Inter-Ministerial Committee, state institutions, agencies, including the security cluster, political contestants and all our social partners.

FREE AND FAIR

Distinguished guests

In terms of Section 190 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, the mandate of the Electoral Commission is to:

• compile and maintain a voters’ roll.
• manage elections of national, provincial and municipal legislative bodies;
• ensure that those elections are free and fair;
• declare the results of those elections; and

It is my singular honour to stand before you and announce results of these elections which are determined in terms of Section 64 (1) (b) of the Municipal Electoral Act.

The role of the Commission is to satisfy itself that the conditions for free and fair elections were met in all these elections.

Among the factors which the Commission must consider in declaring an election free and fair is firstly whether the electoral regulations, laws and agreed processes were followed.

Secondly, where irregularities and breaches did occur, what impact this had on the outcome of the election.

We are satisfied that, bar a few incidents, for which we apologise, that we have delivered quality elections. The Commission is happy to report that our unique political party liaison committee system is working.

• It is through this system that we caught an electoral officer who had transgressed our electoral laws by stuffing ballots into a box.
• It is because of the vigilance of party agents and members of the PLC that the stuffed ballot box as well as the mishandling of used ballots were exposed.
• We also wish to report that the Commission received and cleared 290 objections, after investigations and deliberations.
• The Electoral Commission is pleased to announce that it has satisfied itself that the conditions for free and fair elections were met and that the results for 213 councils are declared as final results.

Distinguished guests

There were 26.1-million voters registered for these elections. A approximately of 370 000 were registered in the pre-approved MEC 7 list. A total of  12.3 million South Africans voted in these elections.

It is my honour to provide the country with a national overview of the outcome of these elections.

In terms of the 213 municipalities contested:

• The African National Congress achieved a majority in 161 Municipalities
• The Democratic Alliance achieved a majority in 13 Municipalities
• And the Inkatha Freedom Party achieved a majority in 10 municipalities.
• In 66 municipalities no party achieved a majority – which are known as hung councils.

In the eight contested metropolitan councils, the top three parties are:

BUFFALO CITY

• ANC 59.3%
• DA 19.52%
• EFF 12.06%

CITY OF CAPE TOWN

• DA 58.22%
• ANC 18.63%
• EFF 4.13%

EKURHULENI

• ANC 38.19%
• DA 28.72%
• EFF 13.57%

ETHEKWINI

• ANC 42.02%
• DA 25.62%
• 48%

CITY OF JOHANNESBURG

• ANC 33.60%
• DA 26.47%
• ACTION SA 16.05%

MANGAUNG

• ANC 50.63%
• DA 25.73%
• EFF 11.31%

NELSON MANDELA BAY

• DA 39.92%
• ANC 39.43%
• EFF 6.40%

CITY OF TSHWANE

• ANC 34.31%
• DA 32.34%
• EFF 10.62%

CONCLUSION

We congratulate the 10 461 councillors who have won the right to serve our people. To them we remind them of the words of wisdom from the great Pan-Africanist revolutionary and thinker Amilcar Cabral, who said:

“Always bear in mind that the people are not fighting for ideas, for the things in anyone’s head. They are fighting to win material benefits, to live better and in peace, to see their lives go forward, to guarantee the future of their children.”

We urge them to go out and make the lives of our people better. Go out and ensure that our communities develop and live in peace. Go out and, through your honest and ethical work, guarantee the future of our children.

CONCLUSION

We are proud to proclaim to the world that we are still flying high the banner of electoral integrity, excellence, and free and fair elections.

Through these elections, we have sent a resounding message to the world at large that we South Africans remain a beacon of pre-eminence in the conduct of electoral democracy.

It is then my singular honour to hereby declare the 2021 Municipal Elections concluded as free and fair.

I thank you!

Source: Government of South Africa