Monthly Archives: May 2014

EFF reaches a million votes


Pretoria – New kids on the block the Economic Freedom Fighters cracked the million vote mark on Friday morning in their first national elections.

Early results from the Electoral Commission of SA results centre in Pretoria showed that Julius Malema’s party had 1 002 355 votes by 07:05 on Friday.

This meant the party had 6.06% of the national votes from Wednesday’s elections.

The votes could secure at least 20 seats in Parliament for the fledgling party. For a seat in Parliament, a political party needs about 47 000 votes.

With 94.61% of the votes counted, the African National Congress had 62.51% of the national votes with 10 333 002 votes while the Democratic Alliance remained in second place with 21.96% of the national votes. The DA had 3 629 890 votes.

The EFF was in third place.

Veteran party Inkatha Freedom Party had 405 802 (2.45%) votes, followed by their breakaway party the National Freedom Party with 269 712 (1.63%) votes.

Other debutant parties, such as Agang SA, the Workers and Socialist Party and the Patriotic Alliance have not done as well as Malema’s EFF.

Mamphela Ramphele’s Agang SA had only received 0.26% with 43 651 votes, which at this stage did not qualify the party for a seat in Parliament.

Kenny Kunene’s Patriotic Alliance received 12 710 votes (0.08%) and Wasp 7 497 (0.05%) of the votes.

A total of 16 529 857 votes have been counted.
– SAPA

South Africans celebrated voting through selfies – IEC CEO


IEC Chief Electoral Officer Mosotho Moepya says while selfies were not permitted in voting booths, most selfies show South Africans celebrating their votes.-Sapa

SABC predicts 23 EFF seats


Johannesburg – The EFF could secure 23 seats in Parliament in its debut election, according to the latest SABC predictions on Thursday night.

This would see the Economic Freedom Fighters get nearly three times the number of Inkatha Freedom Party seats, nine according to the SABC, down from 18.

The African National Congress would lose three seats to settle at 261, while the Democratic Alliance would hold 90, 23 more than it secured in the 2009 general elections.

The SABC foresaw the National Freedom Party, which did not contest the last elections, securing seven parliamentary seats.
– SAPA

Alexandra IEC centre set alight


Johannesburg – An Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) centre was set alight by residents of Alexandra, Gauteng police said on Friday.

A room in a community centre which was used by the IEC was burned by residents on Thursday night, Brigadier Neville Malila said.

There were people inside the centre at the time of the fire, but no injuries were reported.

Thirty-one people were arrested and are expected to appear in court soon.

Malila said the motive was unknown.
– SAPA

Turnout varies at provincial level


Pretoria – Voter turnout across South Africa’s nine provinces in Wednesday’s election varied depending on the province, according to results from Electoral Commission of SA’s national results operations centre in Pretoria on Friday morning.

While the overall voter turnout average for the country was 70.89% by 04:39, the lowest was in Limpopo, with 60.56%.

The province with the best voter turnout was KwaZulu-Natal, with 75.73%. It was followed by Gauteng (73.35%), Mpumalanga (72.85%), Western Cape (72.65%), Northern Cape (71.29%), Free State (70.67%), Eastern Cape (68.30%), and North West (66.30%).

A total of 25 383 361 people were registered to vote countrywide prior to election day.-Sapa

ANC stays ahead in Joburg


Pretoria – The ANC continued to maintain its lead in the City of Johannesburg early on Friday morning, as results from the municipality continued filtering in to the Electoral Commission of SA’s national results operations centre.

Looking at the provincial vote, the ruling party by 04:31 had 49.35% of the vote 267 625 votes, with the Democratic Alliance lying in second with 36.07% of the vote (195 641 votes).

The Economic Freedom Fighters held third place, with 9.12% (49 454 votes), while the IFP were a distant fourth with 1.31% (7 097).

A total of 542 441 votes had been counted, with voter turnout in the metro at 73.56%.-Sapa

IEC disputes dumped ballot papers


Pretoria – Pictures of dumped ballots have spread quickly across social media but just before 7pm on Thursday evening the IEC has said that they had heard no reports of the issue. Boxes of dumped ballots were found this afternoon in Alexandra and Diepsloot in Johannesburg, as well as Lynnwood in Pretoria. The photos of the discovered ballots were retweeted by political party leaders including Helen Zille and Ramphele Mamphele.
For more http://www.iol.co.za

Dumped ballot papers found in PTA


PRETORIA – The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)  it is trying to establish the authenticity of reports that bags of ballot papers were found in a park in Lynnwood Ridge, Pretoria.
Eyewitness News established the papers were found in a park on Thursday.
Voting stations were set up for Wednesday’s elections in Cedar Road.
Most of the papers were apparently in favour of the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Sources say the black bags were discovered by residents this morning and collected by an unknown man earlier today.
The IEC says it is aware of the incident and is following up.
The commission has been in touch with the person who reported the matter and is expected to address the matter in a press briefing by chairperson Pansy Tlakula shortly.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za

A 4 year-old girl raped, suspect arrested


By Obakeng Maje
Tsineng- A 42-year-old man from Tsineng village near Kuruman is due to appear before the Mothibistad Magistrate’s Court on Friday for allegedly raping a 4 year-old girl.

The incident happened on Wednesday. Apparently the suspect decoyed the girl into his house and offered her biscuits, where he subsequently raped her.

“After the atrocity the girl went home crying. When she was questioned by her grandmother, she told her that a certain man in the nearby had raped her” Lieutenant Olebogeng Tawana said.

The suspect is behind bars and charged for rape after his arrest on Wednesday.

“The South African Police Service condemns the heinous crimes against children. The criminals are cautioned not to take the advantage of vulnerability of those who cannot defend themselves. On the other hand guardians and parents are urged not to neglect their children as they become the victims of crime” Tawana said.-TDN
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EFF, IFP accuse ANC of vote rigging


JOHANNESBURG – Alexandra police are investigating an apparent hostage drama linked to alleged vote rigging.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) are both accusing the ANC of vote rigging and tampering in the northern Johannesburg township. Residents say an EFF member found a box of ballot papers at the entrance of the Thusong Service Centre on Thursday morning.
For more http://www.ewn.co.za