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Growing support as main parties win more votes
THE ANC polled 11650748 votes in last Wednesday‘s election, 769833 more than it did in the 2004 general election. But it was outdone in terms of increase in sheer numbers of votes by the DA that hiked its total by just over one million from 1931201 to 2945 829.

East Cape election results – interactive map
See our Election ‘09 Special Report for an interactive map showing a municipal breakdown of how the different parties fared.

View the results

Finca calls for provinces to be given responsibility for papers
EASTERN Cape electoral officer Bongani Finca yesterday called for provincial electoral officers to be given “full accountability and responsibility” for the printing and packaging of ballot papers and the distribution of election material, as they had in local government elections.

FF+ had only 3% of expat vote
DESPITE having piloted the court case that resulted in South Africans living abroad who were registered for Wednesday‘s election being allowed to vote, the Freedom Front Plus only won three per cent of the 9857 ballots cast.

DA coalition ‘could win Mandela Bay in 2011’
THE Democratic Alliance believes there is a chance a DA-led coalition could win control of the Nelson Mandela Bay council in the 2011 local government elections.

Zuma parties in the street as ANC heads for victory
AS the ANC approached a two- thirds majority in Wednesday‘s poll, president-designate Jacob Zuma told thousands of supporters outside party headquarters in Johannesburg last night that “you have done very well ... you have done great”.

Zille set to be new W Cape premier
HELEN Zille is set to be the new premier of the Western Cape. The Democratic Alliance national leader and Cape Town mayor led her party to victory in Wednesday‘s provincial election – and while last night it was still not certain whether the DA would win the poll outright, Zille will be the next premier.

Nando’s chickens out after ad grilled
AFTER a roasting from the ANC‘s youth wing, Nando‘s has decided to can its television and radio adverts featuring a puppet named Julius. The league met Nando‘s yesterday, it said in a statement, and “expressed our concern over the advertisement and requested Nando‘s to promptly withdraw the adverts in (sic) all television and radio channels”.

Garden Route’s first-time voters eager to make mark
MORE than half of the country‘s registered voters are under the age of 40, according to the Independent Electoral Commission, and although a number of first-time young voters in the Garden Route were eager to make their mark, many stayed away.

Senior citizens take their duty as voters seriously
A NUMBER of elderly voters braved the cold and drizzle in the Garden Route to cast their ballots yesterday, saying it was not only their duty to vote but the means to ensure a better future for their children and grandchildren.

No incidents as voting goes off smoothly on Garden Route
VOTING went off smoothly as Garden Route residents turned up in droves yesterday to cast their ballots, deterred by neither the cold nor the rain.

Cope expected to become official opposition in EC
ALTHOUGH it was almost certain that the ANC will retain power in the Eastern Cape legislature following the elections yesterday, the provincial political landscape is likely to change forever, political analysts say.

Women voters use car keys, teeth to scratch off nail polish
Durban – Women at a Shallcross booth who had nail polish on their fingernails were asked to remove it before they could cast their vote.

Zuma‘s daughters chatty after vote, Phumzile battles to find ANC on ballot
Johannesburg – ANC president Jacob Zuma‘s daughters were in a chatty mood after voting here yesterday.

‘Hollywood’ welcome for SA’s political stars
THE stars of South Africa‘s hotly contested elections received Hollywood-style welcomes yesterday where they turned up to cast their votes. ANC presidential front-runner Jacob Zuma spoke of his “great” feelings after voting, while former president Nelson Mandela only smiled in response to the adoration. Zuma said: “When I grew up, I did not know that this day would come.

DA leader‘s daughter follows in his footsteps
QUEUEING alongside her father, provincial DA leader Athol Trollip, in East London, Kate, 18, was “very excited” to be voting for the first time.

All atwitter with views, news

AS millions of South Africans made their mark with an “X” yesterday, many also used the “www” to share the experience, express opinions and promote their parties.

Young voters enthusiastic going to polls for first time
FIRST-TIME voters made the most of their opportunity during the general election in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Elderly out in force ‘for generations to come’
THE elderly came out in large numbers, braving cool weather in the city, to cast their votes yesterday.

Smiley and bunny chows feed the hungry
AS thousands queued to cast their provincial and national votes, hawkers in Nelson Mandela Bay townships saw a business opportunity and grabbed it with both hands, selling chips, spicy deep-fried fish bones (imiqolo), smiley (sheep‘s head), fat cakes, bunny chows, fruit and loose cigarettes.

Electoral officers aided illiterates to cast ballots
MANY illiterate voters in the more underprivileged areas of Nelson Mandela Bay exercised their right to vote yesterday, despite being unable to read.

Glitches mar poll, IEC refuses to extend voting hours
THE Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) last night refused to bow to pressure to extend voting hours despite long queues still plaguing many polling stations and ballot paper shortages .

A few hitches develop along the Garden Route (audio)
ALTHOUGH voting was off to a good start in the Garden Route earlier this morning, a few hitches arose by 9.30am. At the Van Kerval school polling station in George East, Democratic Alliance volunteers were chased out of the school grounds where they were trying to set up their gazebo.

Election monitoring groups urge parties not to stir conflict
AN election monitoring network of churches, NGOs, the South African Council of Churches, Idasa and the Black Sash has urged political parties not to stir up tension that could lead to an outbreak of conflict during the election.

Zuma confident of decisive victory today
Johannesburg – The ANC is confident of a “decisive” victory in today‘s polls, with party president Jacob Zuma assuring a smooth transition to a new administration.

Zille predicts fall of ANC Western Cape government
Cape Town – The DA‘s final campaign for today‘s general elections revealed vast support in the Blue Downs area, between Cape Town and Somerset West, yesterday.

Albertina Sisulu casts special vote
Johannesburg – Wheelchair- bound struggle stalwart Albertina Sisulu joined tens of thousands of elderly and disabled citizens in casting a special vote yesterday.

Doomsayers of SA democracy will have to eat humble pie – Motlanthe
Pretoria – The enthusiasm shown over this year‘s election should cast no doubt that South Africa‘s democracy was well, President Kgalema Motlanthe said yesterday.

Home Affairs open for ID collection
Johannesburg – Home affairs offices will be open for extended hours today to assist voters who still needed to collect their identity documents.

Cope confident of majority support
Pretoria – The Congress of the People is confident of obtaining the majority of votes in today‘s election, presidential candidate Mvume Dandala said.

Poll predicts ANC will win 67% of vote
Johannesburg – The ANC will retain its two-thirds majority vote today, according to the latest Ipsos-Markinor poll published yesterday.

Ready, steady – go and vote!
MILLIONS of South Africans go to the polls today in the most hotly contested general election since the birth of democracy in the country in 1994.

IEC officials, police will ensure all goes well at over 200 polling stations
IT‘S all systems go in the Southern Cape for tomorrow‘s national and provincial elections. Municipal electoral officers say they are ready for voters and there will be enough police deployed to ensure the poll goes off without incident.

IEC moves to enforce code of conduct in Bitou polls

New voters looking for more from SA’s leaders
Johannesburg – A new generation of voters raised after apartheid is doubtful tomorrow‘s election will meet hopes of change in a country where some leave school unable to use a computer.

Enthusiastic special voters make their voices heard
THOUSANDS of South Africans took to the polls yesterday – despite infirmities – and cast their “special” votes.

ANC, Cope woo celeb endorsements US-style
PARTIES are using famous names to win votes in tomorrow‘s general election. Like US President Barack Obama who gained the support of Hollywood royalty in his presidential campaign last year, ANC president Jacob Zuma and Congress of the People presidential candidate Mvume Dandala are being supported by famous South African personalities in the race for votes.

All workers must be given time to vote, warns Cosatu
Johannesburg – No workers are compelled to work on election day tomorrow, Cosatu said yesterday.

SABC denies bias after gremlins mar Cope rally
Johannesburg – Cope accused the SABC of sabotage and “blatant bias” following the public broadcaster‘s blackout on Sunday of the party‘s final election rally in Polokwane.

ANC will have agent ‘in every single voting station’ for big day
Durban – The ANC will deploy its largest number of party agents ever for tomorrow‘s election, KwaZulu Natal ANC chairman Zweli Mkhize said.

All systems go as voting machine ready to roll
IT‘S all systems go in Nelson Mandela Bay for tomorrow‘s national and provincial elections. Municipal electoral officials are geared up for a stream of voters at 250 polling stations in the metro, police are ready for any eventuality and the weather is set to play along.

DA lodge objection to second land claim ‘party‘
THE DA has objected to a second party last Monday to celebrate a land claims settlement for the Covey community near Plettenberg Bay, saying the party was held to bolster the ANC‘s “electoral fortunes”.

Concern that land claim settlement is premature

R9,5m payout for apartheid farm seizure

ANC leaders lack values, says ex-deputy president
FORMER deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka took a swipe at the ANC which she says has leaders who “lack values”, during a Congress of the People (Cope) rally at the Wolfson Stadium in Kwazakhele yesterday.

Zuma urged to slash ministers‘ salaries
Cape Town – Satirist Pieter- Dirk Uys has advised Jacob Zuma to chop all cabinet ministers‘ salaries by half when he comes to power.

‘All about bling’ at ANC rally
Johannesburg – Bright green and gold glitter sparkled on tight-fitting T-shirts worn by “ANC babes” as the party stepped up its youth appeal in its election campaign.

Party campaigns hit fever pitch in build-up to Wednesday‘s election
THE build-up to the election reached fever pitch yesterday as political parties wrapped up their campaigns.

Manuel convinced ANC’s slide into ‘disorder’ will pass
Johannesburg – The ANC used to be “a lot more orderly”, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel told businessmen from the Greek, Italian and Portuguese communities.

Malema issues a warning to Zuma on ANC policies
FIREBRAND ANC Youth League president Julius Malema warned in Port Elizabeth yesterday that Jacob Zuma would, like his predecessor Thabo Mbeki, be removed from office should he fail to uphold the ANC‘s Polokwane mandate.

Cope supporters march on City Hall
CONGRESS of the People Youth Movement members marched to the Port Elizabeth City Hall yesterday to deliver a memorandum highlighting the party‘s grievances before next week‘s national election.

Cope takes battle of lamp-posts to new level
THE Congress of the People (Cope) has spent more than R70000 on the biggest political party election “poster” yet seen in Nelson Mandela Bay.

No word from IEC on overseas voters’ tally
Johannesburg – There was no word from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) yesterday on how many South Africans had voted overseas.

Cosatu calls for election day to be a non-trading public holiday
Pretoria – Cosatu yesterday wrote to President Kgalema Motlanthe asking him to declare April 22 a non-trading public holiday.

IEC moves to enforce code of conduct in Bitou polls
THE ANC, Cope and DA in the politically volatile Bitou region have signed an agreement committing to the electoral code of conduct, with the understanding that failure to comply could result in a massive fine and even deregistration of an offending party.

EC probing ANC ‘bullying and bias’ in Bitou

ANC, Cope factions battle at KwaNokuthula

Expats queue up worldwide to cast poll ballots
MORE than 16200 South Africans living abroad visited voting stations around the world yesterday to cast their votes for next week‘s general election.

16000-plus expats vote tomorrow

Expats left the country, so shouldn‘t have vote

Concourt leans towards expat vote

Dandala wows Despatch, Motherwell
CONGRESS of the People leader Reverend Mvume Dandala took a swipe at the ANC yesterday during his election campaign in Despatch and Motherwell, which was well attended by hordes of supporters.

ANC ‘will get more corrupt under Zuma’
IF Jacob Zuma became president and the ANC achieved a two-thirds majority next Wednesday, “the powerful will have free rein to engage in power abuse and corruption”, DA leader Helen Zille warned yesterday.

Boesak cries foul over the DA’s ‘Stop Zuma’ campaign
Cape Town – Cope Western Cape premier candidate Allan Boesak has criticised the DA‘s recently launched “Stop Zuma” campaign, saying it “reeks of swart gevaar tactics”.

DA urges voters to ‘Stop Zuma’ in his bid for control
THE DA yesterday unveiled a new election poster, marking the final phase of its campaign for the April 22 election.

Top Saru officials angry over ANC endorsement
Cape Town – Springbok coach Peter de Villiers‘s endorsement of the ANC and the SA Rugby Union (Saru) statement that followed have sparked an outcry from top officials who want the issue discussed at their next president‘s council meeting.

16000-plus expats vote tomorrow
Johannesburg – A total of 16240 people vote at South Africa‘s 124 foreign missions tomorrow, with the ballot boxes opened on poll day next week.

Nzimande article attacks DA
Durban – DA councillors only defend white farmers and are silent on injustices against black farmers, SA Communist Party general secretary Blade Nzimande writes in the latest edition of the party‘s mouthpiece.

DA urges government to come clean on HIV management before polls next week
Johannesburg – It is vital for the government to release the results of the 2008 HIV survey before next week‘s election to enable the public to make informed decisions, the DA said yesterday.

Xego to rejoin ANC today, say Cope leaders
NELSON Mandela Bay political firebrand Mike Xego, who defected to the Congress of the People (Cope) with much fanfare, is set to rejoin the ANC. This has been confirmed by senior Cope members, who said they had learnt that the ruling party was planning to parade Xego in Johannesburg today during a celebration to announce the return of its “prodigal son”.

Close the conspiracy chapter, says Malema
Johannesburg – ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema preached forgiveness yesterday, saying South Africa needed to close the chapter on an alleged political conspiracy against ruling party leader Jacob Zuma.

Boesak calls Bok coach to order over ANC pledge
SPRINGBOK rugby coach Peter de Villiers “tainted” the Springbok emblem when he openly pledged his support to the ANC, Cope Western Cape premier candidate Allan Boesak said yesterday.

Mbeki denies interference of any kind in Zuma corruption case
Cape Town – Ex-president Thabo Mbeki yesterday again denied any political interference in the Jacob Zuma matter and called for vigilance against the offensive practice of spreading “deliberate falsehoods to attain various objectives”.

Zuma not vindicated by NPA decision, says Zille
HAD Jacob Zuma been innocent, he would have been disappointed by the National Prosecuting Authority‘s (NPA‘s) decision to drop the charges and “would have wanted – after building his defence for eight years – to take his case to court and prove his innocence once and for all”, DA leader Helen Zille said yesterday.

Bok coach De Villiers slated for political endorsement
Cape Town – An endorsement of the ANC by Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has been slammed by opposition parties as an abuse of his position and inappropriate.

DA leader loves Eastern Cape
CAPE Town mayor and Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille jetted into Port Elizabeth yesterday morning as part of her Eastern Cape election campaign.

Zuma adds all to same wash
Johannesburg – All South Africans have equal claim to the country, ANC president Jacob Zuma said on Saturday, just days after telling Afrikaners they were the only white group which was truly South African.

ANC playing at ‘divide to rule’
THE ANC wants to use South Africa‘s ethnic differences to divide the country in order to win the elections, says DA leader Helen Zille.

Cover It Live pre-election debate
THE Herald’s election debate, which took place at the Port Elizabeth City Hall on April 7, was a resounding success, with the Eastern Cape economy, land reform, affirmative action and ANC president Jacob Zuma’s criminal charges taking centre stage.

You’re invited to The Herald election debate
WITH this year‘s national election fast approaching, the Eastern Cape has become one of the focal areas for political parties campaigning for your vote.

Motlanthe urges voters to entrench policies
ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe appealed in Nelson Mandela Bay at the weekend for the mobilisation of South Africans as the only way the ruling party could succeed in implementing its programme beyond the April 22 election.

Holomisa confident that UDM will make inroads
WITH only 17 days left before South Africans decide who will be the next president, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa believes his hard work on the campaign trail will pay off.

‘No’ to Zuma’s view on Afrikaners
THE general consensus in a poll among The Herald readers indicated that most people do not agree that Afrikaners are the only true white South Africans, as stated by ANC leader Jacob Zuma.

Disqualification upheld
Johannesburg – The Electoral Court has upheld the disqualification of 110 candidates by chief electoral officer Pansy Tlakula.

SA no ‘tribe federation’
Bloemfontein – South Africa is not a federation of tribes, the Congress of the People‘s presidential candidate, Mvume Dandala, said at the weekend.

Major coup for ANC as Mandela backs party
THE ANC‘s election campaign received a major boost on February 15 when former president Nelson Mandela endorsed the party at an election rally in the hotly contested Eastern Cape.

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