Live stream: Watch the final election results announcement here…

It’s almost, almost over. The long wait to find out who’s officially won what – and which parties need coalitions to stay in control – comes to a conclusion later on Thursday, and you can catch the live stream of the event here.

What next for our political parties?

The 2021 Elections have been, for lack of a better word, extraordinary. The ANC has dipped under 50% of the national vote for the first time ever. The DA and EFF have had subdued results, and a wave of smaller parties – including the likes of Patriotic Alliance and ActionSA – have put themselves in positions of power.

Several metros are still up for grabs, and coalition talks are allegedly already underway. This weekend promises to be one of twists, turns, and skullduggery, as those fighting to seize power put together their pitches for support.

When will the final election results be announced by the IEC?

The IEC will be announcing the final election results at 18:00 on Thursday 4 November. This will be the last briefing the organisation gives before political parties try to hammer out their coalition details. The Commission, however, hasn’t come out of the municipal vote unscathed.

Accusations of ‘rigged elections’ and a refusal to host recounts in two municipalities has led to some very angry criticism, from both the NFP and the leader of the Democratic Independent Party. However, these claims remain unsubstantiated, and the IEC is adamant that it successfully orchestrated an election campaign that only started seven weeks ago.

There were tremendous doubts about whether the 2021 Elections could go ahead at short notice, but ConCourt ruled that the vote must take place. Since that decision, COVID-19 cases have plummeted, and there is hope that the crowds and queues caused by voting day won’t lead to another rise in infections.

Watch the live stream of the final election results announcement here:

(Stream will appear here just before 18:00)