The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has officially launched the National Results Operation Centre (ROC) in Pretoria on Tuesday afternoon.
IEC Spokesperson, Kate Bapela says both the Media houses and the political party representatives will be stationed at the ROC to observe the voting and the counting process.
Bapela says they are more than ready to conduct the upcoming elections in South Africa.
“This is where all the elections events will be happening from the 6th of May, which is social voting and the 7th and the 8th of May, until the rest of the week right to where we receive the results on Saturday.”
“It’s a facility that will host the media, IEC, political parties and observer missions and any South African who is eligible to be accredited and come here. It will be an order of the day up until Monday the 6th.”
CEO Sy Mamabolo at #SAElections2019 #ROClaunch: Election Day is culmination of 2 years of work preparing, planning & training:
*record 22 924 voting stations
*189k volunteers recruited & trained
*60m+ ballot papers printed & distributed
*300k ballot boxes distributed pic.twitter.com/NhWr1c5YNn— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) April 30, 2019
First votes cast on Saturday
Speaking at the ROClaunch the IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo says the first votes were cast on Saturday at SA foreign missions around the world by SA citizens living or working abroad – along with votes cast by members of SANDF in Africa.
He says initial indications are a significant number of votes were cast by South Africans abroad. Ballots being securely transported back to SA where they will be counted before party reps & result included in tally for national ballot.
Final results to be announced on 11 May
IEC Chairperson Glen Mashinini warns political parties that only the Electoral Commission can proclaim and announce the results of the elections and “we appeal to all stakeholders to respect this,” adding “We hope to announce the final results here on Saturday 11 May.”
@IECSouthAfrica CEO Sy Mamabolo says it's all systems go for the May 8 elections. This afternoon, a National Results Operation Centre has just been launched in PTA. #SABCNews pic.twitter.com/glFI2jd7C3
— Abongile Dumako (@AbongileDumako) April 30, 2019
Watch Live:
7 days to #SAElections2019 Today we’re launching our national Results Ops Centre (ROC) at the Tshwane Business Centre. Commissioners & electoral staff relocate to the ROC from now until results are announced, joined by stakeholders, parties on national ballot, & media. pic.twitter.com/2SBP6BL2qX
— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) April 30, 2019
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