When speaking at the announcement of the final results of the elections, in which the African National Congress (ANC) once again had the most votes, the President stressed that the “people have spoken.”
As leaders of political parties, like all those who occupy positions of responsibility in society, we have listened to the voices of our people and we must respect their wishes, he added.
For the last 30 years, the president recalled, we have strived together to build a country that everyone (black and white, men and women, young and old) can call home.
Thus, this election has reaffirmed that building a South Africa for all remains the defining mission for the nation.
Now, as we occupy seats in Parliament and provincial legislatures, he urged elected legislators, let us understand that the seats we occupy do not belong to us. They belong to the people.
Consequently, he said, “any authority, any power entrusted to us, must be exercised to promote the interests of the people.”
This is the time for all of us to put South Africa first, Ramaphosa stressed.
Today the ANC was confirmed as the main party in South Africa, after the Electoral Commission (EC) announced today the final results of the national and provincial elections.
However, the balance of votes also shows as one of the main results of these elections that, for the first time since the advent of democracy in South Africa, in 1994, the ANC does not have
the absolute majority in terms of popular support.
As revealed by the CEI, the ANC managed to obtain 159 of the 400 seats in the National Assembly (Parliament), as well as the favor of the electorate in a fraction more than 40 percent of the 23,292 electoral districts.
On the other hand, the conservative and opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) obtained 87 seats, leading only in the southern province of Western Cape.
It thus remains the second political force in South Africa, far from its pre-electoral aspirations.
On the other hand, the party that surpassed many predictions was the new uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), which positioned itself as the third political force in South Africa from now on, with 58 seats in Parliament.
For its part, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), fell one place and is now behind MK, winning 39 seats.
The other party with a double-digit figure in terms of elected legislators was the IFP (Inkatha Freedom Party), with 17 seats in the Assembly.
Once the new Parliament is formed this month, the newly elected legislators, grouped into groups by proportional representation according to the results of the elections, are the ones who choose the new head of state.
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