Pretoria - The national Results Operation Centre (ROC) is a hive of activity early on Thursday, the first day following the country’s fifth democratic elections.
Results of the country’s fifth democratic elections have been pouring in overnight.
Journalists, camera-people, security and a few party representatives - some dressed in party colours - could be seen milling about near the giant results board just before 6:30am.
Counting began in earnest on Wednesday night after polls across the country closed at 9pm. At around 6:40am on Thursday morning, 28% of the votes cast had been counted.
The national ROC has been set up by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), there are also results centres in the provinces.
South Africans made their cross on the longest national ballot paper seen by the country since the dawn of democracy on Wednesday. A total 29 registered parties appeared on the national ballot.
IEC Chief Electoral Officer Mosotho Moepya has earlier described the voting process as smooth, peaceful and brisk.
President Jacob Zuma and Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, who cast their votes in Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal and Colbyn in Pretoria respectively, joined millions of ordinary citizens who came out with their children, some even with their pets, to cast their votes.
In results already displayed on the results board, the African National Congress (ANC) was in the lead followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) dominated the national results.
The results are continuously being updated as more results are captured by IEC officials. - SAnews.gov.za
