NADEL reflects upon the 2019 election results
14 May 2019
The National Association of Democratic Lawyers (NADEL) congratulates the African National Congress (ANC) on its sixth (6th) electoral victory since the first democratic elections held in South Africa on 27 April 1994.
The ANC won the national elections with 57.51% of the votes. The ANC was followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 20.76% of the votes and were followed by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 10.79% of the votes. NADEL congratulates all parties on their active participation in solidifying South African Democracy.
This marks a period of celebration for the ruling party, however it must also be a time for reflection and renewal for it. The decreasing voter turnout is a sobering fact.
An analysis of the results shows that voter turnout dropped from 73,48% in 2014 to 65,99% in 2019 whilst in 1999 voter turnout peaked at 89,3%. Also, of concern is that the real number of spoilt votes that were cast was 235 472. The numbers not only reveal a downward trend in voter turnout but an increase in voter apathy and discontent amongst the citizenry.