South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), has emerged winner of the country’s national election, the Independent Electoral Commission said on its website on Saturday.
ANC won by 57. 51 percent, but the figure represents its worst performance in a national election since the end of white rule in 1994.
Figures on the Electoral Commission’s website showed 100 per cent capturing of the 17 668 318 votes cast. It stated that the ANC polled 10,026 047 votes, which is less than the 11 million votes it won in 2014.
Although the victory gives President Cyril Ramaphosa another five years in office, but may leave him short of weapons to fight party rivals, who oppose his reforms to reform the economy and fight corruption.
The result has been considered as a reaction from voters, who are fed up with corruption scandals and racial inequalities that remain entrenched in a generation after the party took power 25 years ago.
The biggest opposition Democratic Alliance got 3,618,992, representing 20.76% of the votes, which is also lower than the 22.2 per cent or the 4 million votes it secured in 2014.
ANC rebel, Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Party came third with 1,881,331 votes, representing 10.79 per cent of the votes cast.
In 2014, EFF secured 6.35 percent of the votes.
With 26,779, 025 people registered to vote, turnout was estimated at 65.99 per cent.
According to the electoral body, 235,449 votes were voided in the 22,924 of the voting districts captured.
The ANC had removed former president, Jacob Zuma, as its leader in 2017 after a poor performance in municipal elections.
He was later forced to resign as the party leader, after he was considered as an electoral liability.
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