Pretoria, April 26 (Inditop) South Africa’s president-elect Jacob Zuma has said his government will work to unite the nation.

“Working together we will make it a government for all South Africans,” Zuma said, while addressing the media shortly after the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced the election results Saturday night.

Zuma’s African National Congress (ANC) got 65.9 percent votes of the total 17,680,729 valid votes cast. The ANC secured 264 seats in the national assembly, BuaNews reported.

Zuma said the new administration will make greater effort to eradicate poverty and build on the success of the past 15 years. He said the government will improve service delivery by employing competent people in the relevant posts.

He also congratulated the IEC for delivering a successful election. “They (IEC) always rise to our expectations and make our nation proud. The elections were free and fair, and we accept the results,” Zuma said.

“We assure you that your vote was not misplaced. We thank ANC cadres, supporters and volunteers for their excellent work across the length and breadth of our country. This is your victory,” he said.

Some 17 million people out of a little over 23 million registered voters cast a ballot, representing a turnout of 77 percent in Wednesday’s general elections.