Election results are being announced by South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). Photo: AFP
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) is believed to be heading for its worst ever outcome, ending 30 years of political dominance. Early results from the country’s historic election show voters shifting their support in droves from the ANC. News from AFP.
If the ANC gets less than 50 percent of the vote in this election, it will have to seek re-election of its coalition partners to form a new government. This is going to be a historic evolution in South Africa’s march to democracy, as the ANC has been in power with an absolute majority in the country’s parliament since 1994.
After counting 55 percent of the total votes cast in the general election held last Wednesday, it appears that the ANC is ahead with 42 percent of the votes. This is far below the party’s 2019 tally of 57 percent.
The center-right Democratic Alliance (DA) came second with 24 percent of the vote, according to South African Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) election data. It was followed by former President Jacob Zuma’s MK Party, which received 11 percent of the vote, and the left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 10 percent.
However, it will take two more days to declare the final results of the election. Meanwhile, the country’s Electoral Commission website became temporarily unusable today due to technical reasons. Apologizing for the error, the authorities said the data remains intact and there will be no compromise in this regard. The authorities also said that the results of the elections will not be affected in any way.
The ANC, led by South Africa’s great anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, has been at the forefront of the country’s democratic journey. Five people from this group served as president of the country.
After more than three decades of unchallenged rule, the country’s political arena has been roiled by allegations that ANC leaders have been involved in massive corruption.
In addition, South Africa, which is considered one of the largest industrial economies on the African continent, has experienced a recession, increased crime and unemployment across the country, reaching an all-time record.