Pretoria – Support for the Democratic Alliance could increase by over five percent in the fifth national democratic elections with more than 90% of votes counted on Friday morning.

According to early results, the DA have 22.03% of the votes with 3 605 019 votes nationally in Wednesday’s elections after 94.09% of votes had been counted.

In the 2009 elections, the DA received 16.66% of votes, while it received 12.37% of the votes in the 2004 elections.

According to the results at the Electoral Commission of SA’s results centre in Pretoria on Friday morning, the African National Congress had 62.51% of the votes by 06:00 with 10 228 644 votes.

In the 2009 elections the ruling party won with 65.9% of the votes.

In 2004, the ANC won with 69.69% compared to the 66.35% in 1999 and the 62.65% in 1994.

On Friday, the early results indicated that the new kids on the block, the Economic Freedom Fighters were in third place with 5.95% of the votes and 973 369 votes.

The Inkatha Freedom Party had 404 692 (2.47%) votes according to Friday morning’s early results.

The National Freedom Party remained in fifth place with 1.64 percent of the national votes.

The results centre was quiet on Friday morning with tired party officials and media waiting for the results to be updated. Shortly after 05:30 police took sniffer dogs through the centre.

A total of 16 362 869 votes had been counted.
– SAPA