The South African National Civic Organisation has commended voters for braving adverse weather and long queues to cast their ballots.
|||Cape Town - The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) on Thursday commended South Africans for their high turn-out in the local government elections.
“The peaceful elections and high voter turnout have attested to the maturity of our constitutional democracy and effectiveness of our electoral system,” said SANCO spokesperson Jabu Mahlangu, who praised citizens for braving the cold winter weather to cast their votes in the country’s fifth democratic local government elections.
Mahlangu also applauded the Independent Electoral Commission for swift and decisive action taken against presiding officers and electoral staff in KwaZulu-Natal and other areas who were guilty of irregularities.
“The checks and balances that were in place ensured that the integrity and fairness of the elections was not compromised,” he said.
Mahlangu also thanked the South African Police Service and other law enforcement agencies for their “vigilance and role in securing that the elections were held in a relatively calm and peaceful environment”.
“Although we are disappointed that there was no extension of voting time at voting stations that experienced opening delays and disruption due to weather conditions, we commend our communities for exercising calm, restraint and no acts of intimidation reported at this stage,” he said.
He urged political parties to respect the outcome of the elections results.
“Our communities have spoken. Let us respect the will of the people. We trust that those who participated in the elections will hold the elected councillors accountable and support them throughout their term of office,” he added.
AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY