The GOOD party told the M&G it would not preempt the final results, but is feeling positive. (David Harrison/M&G)
Over 4.6-million votes had been counted just after 11.30am on Thursday morning.
Almost 27-million South Africans registered to vote to elect the country’s sixth democratic administration, with many heading to the polls on Wednesday in a day marred by bad weather, protests and worrying potential irregularities.
While it is too early to determine the final performance of each party, the ANC is on top the leader-board at the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s results operation centre (ROC) in Tshwane, with a share of 55.41% of the vote, the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 25.35% and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on 8.72%.
The EFF is followed by the Freedom Front Plus, with 3% of the vote and the IFP with 1.7%.
In 2014, the DA won 22.23% of the vote, with the EFF winning 6.35%. The voter turnout in 2014 was 73.48%.
Meanwhile the Mail & Guardian caught up with new kids on the block, GOOD, which as it stands has won more votes than the likes of the United Democratic Movement and the Congress of the People. At 11.30 on Thursday morning, GOOD had attained 0.69% of the counted votes.
GOOD deputy general secretary Lehlohonolo Mtshali told the M&G that the party would not pre-empt the final results, but is feeling positive.
“We are sitting at a comfortable space and the results are satisfactory given the short campaigning period and campaigning from a zero budget,” Mtshali said.
“We had a vision, we had a mission. It seems people have bought into the vision, hence the results are like this. And we are happy. Now people can begin to judge us based on the results.”