Cyril Ramaphosa looks at the screen as the official results of the 2019 elections are announced. (Chante Schatz, News24)

South Africa’s 2019 general elections were hard fought but were contested in the spirit of political maturity and tolerance, said the government. 

In a statement issued on Saturday, the government commended South Africans for making the elections a “resounding success”.

Spokesperson for Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Phumla Williams said the official declaration by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) of the final results of the 2019 general elections paves the way for the sixth democratically administrative to begin its work. 

“We congratulate the IEC for a job well done, and for their handling of disputes and various issues that arose. 

“We are satisfied that the IEC addressed these issues and that they are in no way detracted from the success and credibility of the elections,” she said.

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The IEC was plagued by a number of objections from smaller parties who complained of irregularities.

The DA had also called for an audit of the election results after a number of voters took to social media to show cracks in the IEC’s process, News24 earlier reported.

This led to small parties calling for a rerun of the elections.

“Your vote is your power and we must work even harder as a nation to ensure that all who are eligible to vote do so,” Williams said.

“As we begin to look forward in the spirit of renewal, we call on all South Africans to work together, irrespective of their political affiliation. Our role as active citizens does not end with voting; together we can ensure that our newly elected public representatives deliver on their promises of moving South Africa forward.”

South Africa will inaugurate its 6th democratically elected President on May 25.

“We call on all South Africans to support and assist government so that we can find sustainable ways to overcome the triple threat of poverty, inequality and unemployment,” Williams added. 

Find everything you need to know about the 2019 National and Provincial Government Elections at our News24 Elections site, including the latest news and detailed, interactive maps for how South Africa has voted over the past 3 elections. Make sure your News24 app is updated to access all our elections coverage in one place.