EFF rejects call for election re-run

The Economic Freedom Fighters said they will not join smaller political parties in calling for a re-run of the 2019 electoral processes.

EFF secretary general Godrich Gardee said on Thursday evening that they do not support claims that the election was not free and fair.

"We have never lost confidence in the IEC. We can’t cast aspersions on a very important institution," he said.

Gardee said they had always accepted the outcome of the elections. "We have never threatened war or blood over elections. We respect the IEC," he said.

Smaller opposition parties - led by the African Transformation Movement’s Mzwanele Manyi - said they wanted a re-run of the elections, arguing the process was not free and fair.

However, Gardee said that the EFF was happy with its performance thus far.

"We can’t disrupt the EFF in its victory," he said.

With about 60% of the national vote counted, the EFF was at third place with over 9% of the vote, an increase from its 6% of 2014.

In Gauteng, they obtained at over 14%, up from the 10% of 2014, while they appeared second in line in Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The party was hoping to be the kingmakers in Gauteng, should the ANC fail to obtain an outright majority.

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Other political parties who did not join the group calling for a re-run included the DA, the UDM and the IFP.

The grouping that want the IEC to re-run the polls are made up of smaller parties, many of whom have barely reached 5,000 votes nationally.