MK Party breaks record with more than 2-million votes in first election as ANC set to fall well short of majority

Since 1994, no new South African party contesting national elections for the first time has attained more than two-million votes but Jacob Zuma's MK Party has broken that record.

Early on Saturday morning the Electoral Commission (IEC) had counted and audited 97.68% of the votes which painted a grim picture for the ANC which was set to lose its majority with its vote tally at 40.11%.

The DA trailed behind on 21.73% and the MKP was on 14.80%, taking the third spot from the EFF.

MKP had 2,283,865 votes, breaking a 30-year record. Post 1994 no new party in its first election had attained 2-million votes.

ANC breakaway party Congress of the People (COPE) in 2009 received 1,311,027 votes a few months after it was founded by Mosiuoa Lekota, Mbhazima Shilowa and Mluleki George.

The EFF in its first national election in 2014 received 1,169,259 votes. The DA contesting in its first national election in 2004 received 1,931,201 ballots. 

The MK Party's national votes have been boosted by KwaZulu-Natal where it received 45.93% [1,606,316] of 99.4% of the votes. 

Despite attaining record-breaking votes, MKP has contested the election results calling for a recount.