Election count continues in George after long night

ELECTION NEWS - Vote-counting in George continued on Thursday 5 November after a long election night, with technical difficulties delaying the process at some voting stations. Meanwhile, the counting in Oudtshoorn and Kannaland has been completed.

Garden Route District Mayor Marais Kruger managed to get a few hours of sleep after spending much of the night counting votes alongside representatives of three other political parties at Denneoord Primary School, the voting station for Ward 2 in George.

The counting continued until shortly before 06:00 this morning, Thursday 5 November.

According to Kruger, the absence of a functioning system unnecessarily delayed the process.

Although counting in George is not yet complete, final figures are expected to become available later today.

Early indications suggest that the DA could win at least 14 of George’s 28 wards, although this has not yet been officially confirmed.

Kruger said the election had otherwise gone well across the Garden Route district.

“We are tired and grateful,” he said shortly after midday today, Thursday 5 November.

George election results: A screenshot from the IEC website showing the status of the vote count in George Municipality at 12:30 on Thursday 5 November.

Oudtshoorn and Kannaland counts completed

Counting has been completed in Oudtshoorn, where the DA has secured a majority in the municipal council.

Of the party’s 10 council seats, seven are ward seats, and three are proportional representation (PR) seats.

Kruger explained that residents following the results on the Electoral Commission’s (IEC) website should remember that the total number of seats allocated to a party includes both ward councillors and PR councillors.

Some parties may not win any wards but can still secure representation through PR seats.

This distinction is not always immediately clear on the IEC’s results maps.

Counting has also been completed in Kannaland, where ICOSA received the largest share of votes. However, both ICOSA and the DA have secured three council seats, according to the figures provided.

Oudtshoorn election results: A screenshot from the IEC website showing the status of the vote count in Oudtshoorn Municipality at 12:30 on Thursday 5 November.

Kannaland: Icosa is the leading party, with three seats each for Icosa and the DA. Photo: Screenshot from results.elections.org.za

A few election-day hiccups in George

Despite the generally peaceful atmosphere on election day, Wednesday 4 November, a few problems were reported at voting stations in George.

At Heatherlands High School in Ward 3, the entrance gate was reportedly closed for a short period after dark while voting was still under way. It was apparently mistakenly closed by a security guard.

The presiding officer quickly resolved the situation, allowing voting to continue until 21:00.

Concerns were also raised about access to toilet facilities at polling stations in George South and Blanco.

George deputy mayor and Freedom Front Plus candidate for Ward 18, Adv. Gert van Niekerk, alleged that party agents and candidates had been denied permission to use the facilities. He described the situation as unacceptable.

Enquiries were sent to the IEC for clarification.

Another complaint emerged at the Van Kervel voting station, where voter Alet Grobler said officials initially could not find her name on the voters’ roll. After her identity document was scanned, she was allowed to vote, but her thumb was not marked with indelible ink.

Grobler claimed that two other women experienced similar problems. She later checked the IEC website and found that her registration details were correctly recorded.

The IEC’s George office acknowledged the complaint and confirmed that the matter had been addressed. However, George Herald requested further clarification regarding the missing names, identity verification procedures and alleged failure to mark voters’ thumbs. If a reply is received, it will be published on the George Herald website.

Despite these isolated problems, election day in George was largely peaceful, with attention now turning to the final vote count and the composition of the new municipal councils.

Hessequa election results: A screenshot from the IEC website showing the status of the vote count in Hessequa Municipality at 12:30 on Thursday 5 November.

Bitou election results: A screenshot from thenIEC website showing the status of the vote count in Bitou Municipality at 12:30 on Thursday 5 November.

Knysna election results: A screenshot from the IEC website showing the status of the vote count in Knysna Municipality at 12:30 on Thursday 5 November.

Mossel Bay election results: A screenshot from the IEC website showing the status of the vote count in Mossel Bay Municipality at 12:30 on Thursday 5 November.