The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in the North West has urged residents to remain patient as the counting, sorting and verification of votes continue, stressing that accuracy and transparency remain its top priorities.
Provincial Electoral Officer Bonolo Modise says the commission understands the public’s eagerness to receive the election results. However, he emphasises that the IEC will not compromise the integrity of the process by rushing to announce outcomes before all votes have been properly verified and captured.
Modise warns that speeding up the process could lead to errors and inaccuracies, potentially exposing the commission to legal challenges and undermining public confidence in the electoral system.
He explains that several areas within the Bojanala District Municipality, particularly Rustenburg, have a high number of voting districts and political parties contesting the elections. This has contributed to the large volume of ballot papers that must be sorted, counted and verified before results can be finalised.
According to Modise, the IEC has approximately seven days within which to announce the final election results.
He says the commission intends to use the available time to ensure that every vote is accurately accounted for and that the results are correctly captured before being made public.
The IEC has reiterated that its primary responsibility is to safeguard the credibility of the electoral process and ensure that the final results accurately reflect the will of the electorate.
