The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has thanked voters, who came out in their millions, to participate in the elections peacefully with respect for the democratic electoral process.
The commission said this led to yet another free, fair and peaceful election, while cementing the democratic ideals adopted in 1994.
“Once again, South Africa has risen to the occasion and showed the world that our appetite for democracy is unquenchable,” Commission chairperson Glen Mashinini said on Monday.
Last week, over 17 million South Africans went to the polls to elect the new administration. The election took place as the country commemorated 25 years since the first democratic polls in 1994.
Mashinini also expressed the Commission’s gratitude to IEC staff and the 200 000 volunteers who served as election officials “with distinction and integrity”.
“The Commission is enormously proud of the hard work, commitment and dedication of the officials, who worked tirelessly for over two years to prepare and deliver yet another successful election. South Africa owes you all a debt of gratitude.”
In the same vein, the Commission expressed its thanks to the political parties that contested the elections, key government departments such as the Police and Home Affairs, and partner sponsors.
Mashinini said the Commission will now focus on debriefing and introspection to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the election.
“Each election presents us with a sterner test of our people, processes and systems. We must continue to raise the bar and set new benchmarks for electoral excellence.
“Over the coming weeks and months, we will take the many lessons from these elections and translate them into enhancements and improvements for the next [municipal] elections scheduled for 2021,” Mashinini said. - SAnews.gov.za
