'This feels like democracy' - reaction pours in after LGE results

Political parties and the local government elections have topped the trends on Twitter since the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) announced the final results on Thursday night.

While some have expressed satisfaction with the results, others are sharing their opinions about factors that may have influenced the outcome. 

Millions of South Africans took to the polls on Monday to vote in the local government elections after weeks of campaigning by politicians. The IEC said the election was contested by 325 political parties and more than 1,500 independent candidates.

IEC chairperson Glen Mashinini said the elections, in which 12.3-million people voted, were free and fair.

Speaking during the announcement of the final results in Pretoria, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the contestation of different political parties and independent candidates show that all South Africans have an equal chance to run for public office, which enriches citizens and the country's democracy. 

“In the run-up to election day, we have seen images of parties and candidates everywhere − on the billboards of our country, street poles, social media — all making a case for why they should get the vote of the people of SA. 

“This is a sign that multiparty politics is flourishing in our country and that any South African and, indeed, everyone has an equal chance and opportunity to run for public office,” he said. 

The IEC said 213 municipalities were contested in the elections, with the ANC winning a majority in 161 of these. The DA came second with majorities in 13 municipalities, and the IFP had the majority in 10 municipalities.

The final results show that in the eight contested metropolitan councils, the top three parties are the ANC, DA, and EFF. In the city of Johannesburg, the ANC managed to get 33.60%, the DA 26.47%, and the EFF 16.05%. 

Here is a selection of voter reactions:

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