Paul Mashatile confident of ANC victory in Gauteng

ANC treasurer-general Paul Mashatile said on Wednesday he is confident that his party will retain control of Gauteng after all the ballots have been counted.

Gauteng is a hotly-contested province in these elections with the opposition DA aiming to bring the ANC below 50% and rule via a coalition.

But Mashatile, a key figure in the province who has run it as its chairperson before being elected to Luthuli House in 2017, expressed confidence in retaining Gauteng.

Addressing journalists on Wednesday after casting his vote at Wendywood High School in Johannesburg, Mashatile said he was "feeling good".

"We are confident that we will do well," said Mashatile.

He said the election mood was good and a number of people had been coming out to vote.

But Mashatile played down the pressure the ANC was getting from opposition parties.

"I suspect that if you are a governing party, there will always be pressure because people want delivery ... I don't think it will ever be easy because the demands are quite huge," he said.