Pretoria-Staff at the Independent Electoral Commission's (IEC) Results Operations Centre (ROC) in Pretoria have begun packing up equipment at the nerve centre of vote counting.
On Saturday, chairs, tables and computer monitors could be seen being moved inside the massive building which was launched last Wednesday in the lead up to Election Day. The clunking of chairs, laughter and red shirted IEC staff could be seen and heard.
South Africans cast their votes in the country's fourth democratic local government elections on Wednesday which was preceded by two days of the casting of special votes.
Since last week the ROC became the focal point and hype of activity for media and political parties as well as other stakeholders.
Over the last couple of days, politicians including Democratic Alliance (DA) leader, Helen Zille and African National Congress (ANC) President, Jacob Zuma, had visited the centre to interact with people at the ROC. On Friday, ANC Youth League President, Julius Malema, also made an appearance.
In all of the country's 278 municipalities the calculation of seats had been completed with the Thabo Mofuntsanyane Municipality in Free State completing its counting in the early hours (`just after 1am) of Saturday.
President Zuma is expected to announce the outcome of the elections later this evening. By law the IEC is supposed to announce the results within seven days of votes being cast.
Shortly after 11am on Saturday, the ANC which has been leading the pack in terms of votes, had amassed a total 198 councils, 5631 seats and 62 percent support. It was followed by the DA with 18 councils, 1555 seats and 23, 9 percent support. In the third spot the IFP had amassed five councils and 352 seats and 3.6 percent support.
The new kid on the block, the National Freedom Party (NFP), which was formed three months ago, was sitting with two councils and 224 seats.
