The first results of the 2011 municipal elections came in at 8:22pm on Wednesday, more than one hour after the voting stations around the country had officially closed.
Advocate Pansy Tlakula, chief executive of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), announced the results as they appeared on the results board in the results centre in Pretoria.
The results from on polling station in Randfontein were 57,1% in favour of the African National Congress, with the DA gaining 42,9% of the vote.
The reason for the quick outcome was probably down to the fact that a mere 14 voters cast their ballots at this West Rand voting station.
The results eclipsed the arrival of DA leader Helen Zille, who was the first national leader to arrive at the centre after voting stations closed.
The ANC’s secretary general Gwede Mantashe also arrived at the voting station, causing a scramble of ANC officials to the ruling party’s tiny station on the ground floor of the centre.
A statement by the ANC that the DA was buying votes with bread in Stellenbosch and Riverlea in Johannesburg was met with a shrug by DA officials.
Asked if the bread included butter, one official dryly commented: “I must check with our chef in Stellenbosch.”