JOHANNESBURG — Partial results in South Africa’s national election put the long-ruling African National Congress at below 50% of the vote as counting continued Thursday, raising the possibility that it might lose its majority for the first time since it swept to power under Nelson Mandela at the end of apartheid in 1994.
With around 20% of votes counted and declared, it was only a partial picture after Wednesday’s election. The final results of a vote that could bring the biggest political shift in South Africa’s young democracy were expected to take days, with the independent electoral commission saying they would be delivered by Sunday, although they could come earlier.
South Africans were waiting with baited breath to see if their country, Africa’s most advanced economy, was about to see momentous change. Some analysts said the early results already presented a never-before-seen picture with regards to how far the long dominant ANC was below the 50% mark in the early results.
“I think we are seeing a massive change in South African politics,” political analyst Prof. Susan Booysen said on SABC TV, the national broadcaster.
The electoral commission was projecting a 70% voter turnout in this election, up from the 66% in the last national election in 2019. The ANC won 57.5% of the vote in that last election, its worst performance to date.
This election was seen as a direct referendum on the unbroken three-decade rule of the ANC, which freed South Africa from the oppressive, racist apartheid regime in the famous all-race vote of 1994 but has seen a steady decrease in its popularity over the last 20 years.
This year could be the tipping point when most South Africans turn away from the ANC and deny it a majority for the first time.
The results that had been declared were from less than 5,000 of the more than 23,000 polling stations across the nine provinces that make up South Africa and there was a long way to go in the counting process. The partial results put the ANC at 43% of the vote.
Nearly 28 million people out of South Africa’s population of 62 million were registered to take part in the election. The burning question their votes will answer is if the ANC’s dominance of South Africa’s post-apartheid democracy will come to an end. Several opinion polls had gauged the ANC’s support at below 50% ahead of the election, an unprecedented situation.
South African President and ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa said after voting Wednesday that he was still confident his party would get a “firm majority,” but it is faced with more opposition than ever. ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane said on SABC Thursday: “We remain optimistic.”
The political opposition to the ANC is spread amongst an array of other parties, however, and the ANC was still widely expected to be the biggest party and have the most seats in Parliament. It was well ahead of its nearest challenger, the main opposition Democratic Alliance, in the early count, and that was expected.
But if the ANC’s share of the vote does drop below 50% for the first time, it would likely need a coalition to remain in government and an agreement with others to reelect Ramaphosa. That has never happened before.
South Africans vote for parties and not directly for their president in national elections. Those parties then get seats in Parliament according to their share of the vote and lawmakers elect the president. The ANC has always had a clear parliamentary majority since 1994 and so the president has always been from the ANC.
Though a large majority of votes were still to be counted, the early results had put the Democratic Alliance at around 25% and the Economic Freedom Fighters party at around 8%. The partial results also reflected the possible immediate impact of the new MK Party of former President Jacob Zuma, who has turned against the ANC he once led and added to their loss of support. The MK Party had the fourth biggest share of the early count in its first election.
The electoral commission’s prediction of a high turnout reflected Wednesday’s scene across the country, as South Africans queued deep into the night to make their choice and the long, snaking lines of voters revived memories for some of the definitive election of 1994 that changed a country.
While polls officially closed at 9 p.m., voting continued for hours after that in many places as officials noted a late surge of late ballots being cast in major cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town. The electoral commission said the last votes were cast around 3 a.m. The rules say that anyone queuing at a voting station by the closing time must be allowed to vote.
The determination of South Africans standing out in the chilly winter weather into the middle of the night suggested millions had embraced how consequential this election might be for their nation.
South Africa is Africa’s most advanced country but has struggled to solve a profuse inequality that has kept millions in poverty three decades after the segregation of apartheid ended. That inequality and widespread poverty disproportionately affects the Black majority that make up more than 80% of the country’s population. South Africa has one of the worst unemployment rates in the world and also struggles with a high rate of violent crime.
Voters noted those issues and others, like ANC corruption scandals over the years and problems with basic government services, as their main grievances.
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Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.
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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa
In a surprising turn of events, initial results from South Africa’s recent election show that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party is receiving less than 50% of the votes. This marks a significant shift in the country’s political landscape, as the ANC has been in power since the end of apartheid in 1994.
The ANC, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, has long been the dominant political force in South Africa, with a history of strong support among the country’s majority black population. However, in recent years, the party has been plagued by allegations of corruption and mismanagement, leading to a decline in its popularity.
The decline in support for the ANC can be attributed to a number of factors. One of the main reasons is the growing dissatisfaction among South Africans with the party’s failure to address issues such as unemployment, poverty, and inequality. Many voters feel that the ANC has become out of touch with the needs of the people and has prioritized the interests of the political elite over those of the general population.
Another factor contributing to the ANC’s declining support is the rise of opposition parties, such as the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). These parties have been able to capitalize on the ANC’s weaknesses and present themselves as viable alternatives to the ruling party. The DA, in particular, has made significant gains in recent years by appealing to voters who are disillusioned with the ANC’s leadership.
The results of the election indicate that South Africa is entering a new era of political uncertainty. With the ANC failing to secure a majority of votes, it will likely be forced to form a coalition government with one or more opposition parties. This could lead to a more fragmented political landscape, with different parties vying for power and influence.
Despite the challenges facing the ANC, President Ramaphosa remains optimistic about the party’s future. In a statement following the release of the election results, he expressed confidence that the ANC would be able to overcome its current difficulties and continue to lead South Africa towards a brighter future.
Overall, the initial results of South Africa’s election signal a significant shift in the country’s political dynamics. As the ANC struggles to maintain its grip on power, opposition parties are gaining ground and challenging the status quo. It remains to be seen how this will impact the future of South Africa’s democracy and governance.
