There’s only one story today: the election results and how the online media is responding. Everybody’s got the story that by 8.30am this morning, the ANC had 63.7% (2 078 352 votes) – with the largest total of votes coming from the Eastern Cape (503 730) — the DA 19.5% (636,637 votes) and Cope only 7.7% (251 200 votes).

Most of the parties’ Facebook pages are silent and the IEC’s website is not loading, possibly because of the the number of hits on it.

It’s hard to beat the immediacy of TV and radio on this one but News24 seems to have the best online package of the big online media houses, with a cool little map of SA showing the results as they come in (the Western Cape is going to the DA, the rest are sticking with the ANC). Click here to go there.

My favourite story of the past two days, however, goes to the Daily Dispatch, which ran a reader competition of people’s memories of the 1994 election. I actually got a lump in my thoat when I read this one, about a reader’s memory of his grandfather voting for the first time.

The Dispatch’s election page is also much more lively than most, with an video interviews of young people talking about the election. Each video is embedded into a Google interactive map. Nice! Click here to interract.

Popularity: 7% [?]

So the ANC has “welcomed” the Independent Electoral Commission’s decision to dismiss objections lodged against ANC candidate Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Well, I’m sure they are but there’s a teeny weeny problem here: It’ deosn’t look like it’s legal.

Earlier this month Paul Hoffman, a Senior Counsel with the Institute for Accountability in Southern Africa, wrote an excellent piece for Business Day laying out why in terms of the law (he focused on Madikizela-Mandela, Allan Boesak, and Tony Yengeni) is entitled to stand for public office. Click here to read the full, very insightful story.

In terms of the law, says Hoffman, Boesak qulifies as his record was expunged when he was pardoned. Madikizela-Mandela, however, is quite a different matter and is open to challenge in the courts.

The law says that you can’t be a Member of Parlaiment until five year after you’ve completed your sentence. And you start your suspended sentence after your appeal has been ruled on, which in Madikizel-Mandela’s case was July 2004.

This means she is not eligable to go to Parliament until July 2009 and would therefore have to wait until the next election (after this year’s one) to become an MP.

The Freedom Front have already said today that they’re taking the matter to court but, for heaven’s sake, what a waste of money. Firstly, if the ANC had any integrity it should not have Madikizela-Mandela on its party list (she was convicted for fraud after all) — just as Cope should not have Allan Boesak as a provincial premier candidate.

And, secondly, the IEC should have refused to allow Madikizela-Mandela on the ANC list on the basis of legal uncertainty. Meanwhile, the ANC is crowing on its blog and try not to choke on your coffee while you read this:

This decision reinforces the ANC’s contention that it has made every effort to ensure that its list of candidates is compliant with all relevant provisions of the Constitution and Electoral Act.

The extensive process of candidate selection within the ANC has produced a list of candidates with credibility and experience, and a strong commitment to working with communities to address their needs.

Popularity: 6% [?]