IEC chair Pansy Tlakula has officially announced the results of the 2014 elections.
“A record 29 parties contested these elections,” she said at the release of the final election results in Pretoria on Saturday.
“Out of these, 13 have received sufficient votes to have representation in the National Assembly.”
The ANC received 249 seats while the Democratic Alliance (DA) received 89 seats.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) received 25 seats, the third highest number, while the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) received 10 and its breakaway party, the National Freedom Party (NFP), received six.
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) both received four seats. The Congress of the People (Cope), AIC and African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) secured three seats each.
Mamphela Ramphele’s Agang SA received two seats while the African People’s Convention (APC) and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) received one seat each.
Provincial results
Tlakula also announced the final results for provincial elections with the following parties securing seats in provincial legislatures:
Eastern Cape
AIC 1
Cope 1
EFF 2
UDM 4
DA 10
ANC 45
Northern Cape
Cope 1
EFF 2
DA 7
ANC 20
Gauteng
IFP 1
FF+ 1
EFF 8
DA 23
ANC 40
KwaZulu-Natal
Minority Front 1
EFF 2
NFP 6
IFP 9
DA 10
ANC 52
Limpopo
Cope 1
DA 3
EFF 6
ANC 39
Mpumalanga
Bushbuck Ridge Residents Association 1
EFF 2
DA 3
ANC 24
North West
FF+ 1
DA 4
EFF 5
ANC 23
Western Cape
ACDP 1
EFF 1
ANC 14
DA 26
Free State
FF+ 1
EFF 2
DA 5
ANC 22
Smooth and peaceful
Tlakula said the 73.43% voter turnout showed that democracy was thriving.
“Today we celebrate two decades of democracy and conclude the fifth democratic national and provincial elections. We can confirm to the world democracy is well and thriving in this land,” she said.
“Even as we made our choices, it is a powerful reminder of what binds us together.” It was on May 10, 20 years ago that former president Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the country’s first democratic president.
“As the whole world watched on May 10 … our freedom was the celebration of the entire world as our president reached out to friends and foes alike,” Tlakula said.
“Today we affirm our nation’s commitment. “
ANC ‘deeply rooted’
During the announcement, ANC President Jacob Zuma said the 2014 election showed how deeply rooted the ANC was in people’s hearts.
“They have approved of the good work we have done over the last 20 years in general and in the past five years in particular.”
“This affirms the good story we have to tell.”
Zuma said the ANC would use its victory to make sure water, electricity, roads and clinics were delivered to people.
It also gave the party the green light to implement the National Development Plan.
‘Turmoil’
Zuma thanked the more than 11-million people who voted for the ruling party in the fifth democratic elections.
“No community in our country should live in turmoil,” Zuma said.
“To those who did not make it – losing is part of the democratic process. In democracy you win and lose.”
The ANC mustered 62.15% – 11 436 921 votes.
He extended the ruling party’s gratitude to those who voted for the ANC.
“The people are never wrong. They make their determination on observation – we should all respect their will,” said Zuma.
“The ANC is humbled in this victory by the confidence this majority show.”
The ANC will form a government that will serve all the people of our country regardless of who they voted for.” – Sapa