South Africa begins counting votes after high voter turnout

With more than half the polling stations closed this morning, South Africa began counting votes in its most contentious general election in 30 years.

The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has announced that the first 163 votes in the national parliamentary elections have been confirmed in the Eastern Cape, where the ANC received 99 votes, the EFF 29 votes, MK 17 votes, DA five votes, UDM 8 votes, and the parties IFP, ACDP, AIC, ATM and BOSA – one vote each, respectively.

These first votes in South Africa’s elections were confirmed at the Bizana Baptist Church in Winnie Madikizela-Mandela Municipality, Eastern Cape province, the South African Electoral Commission said at its election count operations center in Johannesburg.