The ANC leader spoke to reporters after casting his vote at Thulamahashe ward 31 in Bushbuckridge, and also revealed that the party has its own systems to collect and analyse election results before the IEC announces the official outcome.
The ANC in Mpumalanga is confident that it will retain more than 50% of the vote, warning that those predicting its decline will be in for a shock when the election results are announced.
ANC provincial chairman Mandla Ndlovu said the party continues to enjoy political dominance in the province, with strong support in Bushbuckridge, where it previously secured about 90% of the vote.
But the party has admitted that it may struggle to garner enough support in Steve Tshwete.
Speaking after casting his vote at Thulamahashe ward 31 in Bushbuckridge, Ndlovu said pollsters should allow voters to exercise their democratic right before making conclusions about the outcome.
“Today is the crack of dawn. Pollsters who have made their predictions must allow voters to go to their voting stations and vote. We will see at the end of the day what they are saying,” he said.
The ANC leader also revealed that the party has its own systems to collect and analyse election results before the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announces the official outcome.
He said the end of the council’s term of office meant a new council had to be constituted, adding that he was pleased to be part of the process of electing a new government.
Ndlovu said the ANC government has pledged to strengthen municipalities, fix local government and work with communities to build better lives.
“We know that there are problems here and there. There is still so much to be done,” he said.
He said the government acknowledged that about 12% of households in Mpumalanga still lack access to piped water, while roughly 5% of households have no electricity.
Ndlovu said the party recognises both the progress made by the government and the challenges that remain, promising to work with communities to improve access to basic services.
“The concerns that people are raising are also our concerns. We are going to partner with our people and build better communities,” he said.
The ANC says its priority is to build a capable local government that can deliver services and ensure communities have access to water, electricity and other essential services.
Reporting by Bulelwa Maphanga
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