Ramaphosa’s call on Wednesday came amid growing concerns that violence could break out in the mineral rich country and former Belgian state after his meeting with Zambian President Edgar Lungu to discuss the situation in DRC in Pretoria.
The polls, which were supposed to have taken place two years ago, were finally held on 30 December. Some 21 candidates vied to replace President Joseph Kabila, who has been in power for nearly 18 years.
The result of the vote was initially expected to be announced on Sunday. It is now expected to be made public later this week, with security reportedly beefed up in the DRC capital Kinshasa ahead of the results announcement.
“Presidents Ramaphosa and Lungu have called on CENI [DR Congo’s National Electoral Commission] to speedily finalise the vote tabulation and release the election results in order to maintain the credibility of elections,” the ministry of international relations said on Wednesday.
The two leaders also called on political parties and the Congolese people to remain calm ahead of the results announcement.
“The two Presidents underscored that the delay in releasing the results of the elections can lead to suspicions and compromise peace and stability of the country,” the ministry said.