South Africa is poised to break three decades of dominance of the party that liberated it from apartheid, as voters, frustrated by joblessness, inequality, and power shortages, reduced the African National Congress's (ANC) share of the vote to 40%.

A weakened mandate for Nelson Mandela's legacy party, dropping from 57.5% in the 2019 election to 40%, means&nbsp;the ANC must share power with a rival to maintain form a government—an unprecedented scenario.

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Vote tallying from Wednesday's poll was entering the final stages on Saturday morning, with results in from 98% of polling stations giving the ANC 40.15% vote share.

The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), had 21.71% and uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a new party led by former president Jacob Zuma, grabbed 14.76%.

It may be noted here, the ANC has won every previous national election by a landslide since the historic 1994 vote that ended white minority rule, but over the last decade its support has declined as the economy stagnated, unemployment rose and roads and power stations got worse.

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The share of votes of Political parties&nbsp;decides their seats in the National Assembly, which elects the nation's president. Investors in Africa's most industrialised economy will hope the uncertain picture can quickly become clear.

President Cyril Ramaphosa could theoretically retain his position, as the former liberation movement is projected to secure roughly twice as many votes as the next party. However, he will be significantly weakened and may face demands to step down from both opposition parties and critics within the deeply divided ANC.

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However, on Friday (May 31) a top ANC official backed him to stay on as party leader, and analysts say he has no obvious successor.

A deal to keep the ANC in the presidency could involve opposition backing in exchange either for cabinet posts or for more control of parliament, perhaps even the speaker.

The election commission will announce the final results on Sunday (June 2).

(With inputs from agencies)

South Africa is poised to break three decades of dominance of the party that liberated it from apartheid, as voters, frustrated by joblessness, inequality, and power shortages, reduced the African National Congress's (ANC) share of the vote to 40%.

South Africa is poised to break three decades of dominance of the party that liberated it from apartheid, as voters, frustrated by joblessness, inequality, and power shortages, reduced the African National Congress's (ANC) share of the vote to 40%. A weakened mandate for Nelson Mandela's legacy party, dropping from 57.5% in the 2019 election to 40%, means the ANC must share power with a rival to maintain form a government—an unprecedented scenario. Also read: China says will not not attend Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland Vote tallying from Wednesday's poll was entering the final stages on Saturday morning, with results in from 98% of polling stations giving the ANC 40.15% vote share. The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), had 21.71% and uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a new party led by former president Jacob Zuma, grabbed 14.76%. It may be noted here, the ANC has won every previous national election by a landslide since the historic 1994 vote that ended white minority rule, but over the last decade its support has declined as the economy stagnated, unemployment rose and roads and power stations got worse. × The share of votes of Political parties decides their seats in the National Assembly, which elects the nation's president. Investors in Africa's most industrialised economy will hope the uncertain picture can quickly become clear. President Cyril Ramaphosa could theoretically retain his position, as the former liberation movement is projected to secure roughly twice as many votes as the next party. However, he will be significantly weakened and may face demands to step down from both opposition parties and critics within the deeply divided ANC. Also read: Why Mexico’s election holds greater significance than ever for the US However, on Friday (May 31) a top ANC official backed him to stay on as party leader, and analysts say he has no obvious successor. A deal to keep the ANC in the presidency could involve opposition backing in exchange either for cabinet posts or for more control of parliament, perhaps even the speaker. The election commission will announce the final results on Sunday (June 2). (With inputs from agencies)

South Africa election poised to end three decades of ANC dominance

Partial results from South Africa's national election indicated that the African National Congress was on way to lose the parliamentary majority it has held for 30 years, marking the most dramatic political shift since the end of apartheid.

With results in from 11.3% of polling stations, the ANC's share of the vote in Wednesday's election stood at 42.8%, with the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) on 25.6% and the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on 8.3%, revealed&nbsp;data from the electoral commission.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-africans-vote-with-anc-rule-in-balance-726629" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/south-africans-vote-with-anc-rule-in-balance-726629&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwigqsXTjrWGAxWe6jgGHfJdAN04ChAWegQIBhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2lpgFX1sHWek1GuXXYfirw&amp;arm=e&amp;fexp=72519171,72519168" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-africans-vote-with-anc-rule-in-balance-726629" target="_blank">South Africans&nbsp;vote with ANC rule in balance</a>

If the final results mirror the early indications, the ANC would be compelled to form a coalition with one or more parties to govern, potentially leading to unprecedented political volatility in the coming weeks or months.

The South African rand fell 1% against the US dollar in early Johannesburg trade on Thursday (May 30), hitting its weakest in four weeks.

As the early results predicted, the ANC is projected to have roughly 42% of the vote when the count is over, according to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research which was providing projections to the state broadcaster SABC.

In 2019 elections, the ANC won 57.5% of the vote, while 20.8% went to&nbsp;DA and 10.8% to&nbsp;EFF, on a turnout of 66%&nbsp;registered voters.

<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/videos/south-africa-elections-will-this-be-the-ancs-30-year-rule-726826" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/videos/south-africa-elections-will-this-be-the-ancs-30-year-rule-726826&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwja2uHhjrWGAxWiyDgGHemgDTQQFnoECAUQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw3hIGBHlwNljkglZDHTge8A&amp;arm=e&amp;fexp=72519171,72519168" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/south-africa-elections-will-this-be-the-ancs-30-year-rule-726826" target="_blank">South Africa&nbsp;Elections: Will this be the ANC's 30 year rule?</a>

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Under South Africa's constitution, the newly elected National Assembly will elect the next president. 
ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to remain as the country's president, although a poor showing could make him vulnerable to a leadership challenge from within party ranks.

The ANC has secured victory in every national election held every five years since the landmark 1994 election, which marked the end of apartheid and Nelson Mandela's ascent to the presidency.

But since then, the ANC's support has declined because of disillusionment over issues such as high unemployment and crime, frequent power blackouts and corruption.

<h2>The Zuma Factor</h2>

In KwaZulu-Natal, a populous eastern province, a new party led by former president Jacob Zuma, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), was performing strongly, with 42.3% of the vote versus 20.1% for the ANC.

It may be noted here, Zuma was asked to quit as president in 2018 after a series of scandals and has since fallen out with the ANC leadership.

As per the law, the electoral commission has seven days to declare full results, but in practice it is usually faster than that. In the last election, in 2019, voting took place on a Wednesday like this year and final results came on the Saturday.

The new parliament must convene within 14 days of final results being declared and its first act must be to elect the nation's president.

(With inputs from agencies)

Partial results from South Africa's national election indicated that the African National Congress was on way to lose the parliamentary majority it has held for 30 years, marking the most dramatic political shift since the end of apartheid.

Partial results from South Africa's national election indicated that the African National Congress was on way to lose the parliamentary majority it has held for 30 years, marking the most dramatic political shift since the end of apartheid. With results in from 11.3% of polling stations, the ANC's share of the vote in Wednesday's election stood at 42.8%, with the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) on 25.6% and the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on 8.3%, revealed data from the electoral commission. Also read: South Africans vote with ANC rule in balance If the final results mirror the early indications, the ANC would be compelled to form a coalition with one or more parties to govern, potentially leading to unprecedented political volatility in the coming weeks or months. The South African rand fell 1% against the US dollar in early Johannesburg trade on Thursday (May 30), hitting its weakest in four weeks. As the early results predicted, the ANC is projected to have roughly 42% of the vote when the count is over, according to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research which was providing projections to the state broadcaster SABC. In 2019 elections, the ANC won 57.5% of the vote, while 20.8% went to DA and 10.8% to EFF, on a turnout of 66% registered voters. South Africa Elections: Will this be the ANC's 30 year rule? × Under South Africa's constitution, the newly elected National Assembly will elect the next president. ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to remain as the country's president, although a poor showing could make him vulnerable to a leadership challenge from within party ranks. The ANC has secured victory in every national election held every five years since the landmark 1994 election, which marked the end of apartheid and Nelson Mandela's ascent to the presidency. But since then, the ANC's support has declined because of disillusionment over issues such as high unemployment and crime, frequent power blackouts and corruption. The Zuma Factor In KwaZulu-Natal, a populous eastern province, a new party led by former president Jacob Zuma, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), was performing strongly, with 42.3% of the vote versus 20.1% for the ANC. It may be noted here, Zuma was asked to quit as president in 2018 after a series of scandals and has since fallen out with the ANC leadership. As per the law, the electoral commission has seven days to declare full results, but in practice it is usually faster than that. In the last election, in 2019, voting took place on a Wednesday like this year and final results came on the Saturday. The new parliament must convene within 14 days of final results being declared and its first act must be to elect the nation's president. (With inputs from agencies)

South Africa: Early results indicate ANC losing majority in election

South Africa's governing ANC party said that it had sent senior officials to Russia to discuss "recalibration of the global order" with President Vladimir Putin's party.

South Africa sends ANC officials to Russia for 'new global order' talks

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected as the leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party on Monday. The veteran politician, who has been facing a number of corruption scandals recently, defeated his rival – former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize – by 2476 votes to 1897.&nbsp;

Ramaphosa was the odds-on favourite to win the party elections with the ANC putting their complete support behind him when it comes to the corruption scandals. However, a lot of experts were surprised by the number of votes that Mkhize got as he was also hit by a major scandal regarding the Covid funds.&nbsp;

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While both factions inside the ANC made it clear that there were no instances of vote-buying, it was alleged that Mkhize promised high positions to key members in order to boost his cause.&nbsp;

The ANC, a party that counted Nelson Mandela as its member, has been in power in South Africa since 1994 and they will be looking to win a sixth term in the 2024 general elections. While corruption has become a major issue for the country, scandals have not impacted the influence of the party.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Taiwan launches probe into TikTok for spreading disinformation

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Ramaphosa ran on an anti-corruption platform against his predecessor Jacob Zuma but the recent scandals have marred his name. While the parliamentary vote asking for his impeachment was completely quashed by the legislators, the public perception has certainly soured over time.&nbsp;

Ramaphosa was accused of tax evasion and money laundering with the central authorities also accusing him of stashing over $580,000 in a sofa at his private farm, according to Reuters.&nbsp;

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected as the leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party on Monday. The veteran politician, who has been facing a number of corruption scandals recently, defeated his rival – former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize – by 2476 votes to 1897.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected as the leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party on Monday. The veteran politician, who has been facing a number of corruption scandals recently, defeated his rival – former Health Minister Zweli Mkhize – by 2476 votes to 1897. Ramaphosa was the odds-on favourite to win the party elections with the ANC putting their complete support behind him when it comes to the corruption scandals. However, a lot of experts were surprised by the number of votes that Mkhize got as he was also hit by a major scandal regarding the Covid funds. Also read | Drones hit 'critical infrastructure' in Kyiv, cause 'fairly serious' damage While both factions inside the ANC made it clear that there were no instances of vote-buying, it was alleged that Mkhize promised high positions to key members in order to boost his cause. The ANC, a party that counted Nelson Mandela as its member, has been in power in South Africa since 1994 and they will be looking to win a sixth term in the 2024 general elections. While corruption has become a major issue for the country, scandals have not impacted the influence of the party. WATCH | Taiwan launches probe into TikTok for spreading disinformation Ramaphosa ran on an anti-corruption platform against his predecessor Jacob Zuma but the recent scandals have marred his name. While the parliamentary vote asking for his impeachment was completely quashed by the legislators, the public perception has certainly soured over time. Ramaphosa was accused of tax evasion and money laundering with the central authorities also accusing him of stashing over $580,000 in a sofa at his private farm, according to Reuters.

Cyril Ramaphosa re-elected as leader of ruling ANC party in South Africa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was out campaigning on Saturday in the Soweto townships for the ruling African National Congress ahead of local elections.

ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa is on the campaign trail in Soweto

ANC Secretary General Ace Magashule who was suspended from his leadership role has now taken President Cyril Ramaphosa to court. This move by Magashule comes as the African National Congress tries to clean up an image tarnished b corruption allegations ahead of upcoming local elections.

South Africa: ANC Secy-General Ace Magashule takes President Ramaphosa to court

In a bid to win back power in the upcoming October elections, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa is cracking down on corruption in his own party and in the process, he is also tightening his grip over the ANC.

The African National Congress (ANC), has suspended Ace Magashule, secretary-general of the ruling party of South Africa.

An influential member of ANC, Magashule is a key opponent of President Cyril Ramaphosa and a loyalist of the former president Jacob Zuma, who lost power after the Gupta corruption scandal exploded four years ago. 
 
Magashule faces serious charges of money laundering and fraud. According to reports, he was part of a "premier league" of provincial leaders who backed Zuma through his many scandals. Even after Zuma’s exit from power in 2018, Magashule managed to survive politically.&nbsp;

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President Ramasposa himself went before investigators and testified against his own party members. He said that over the past decade, a systematic looting of South Africa was allowed by the ANC under Zuma's reign. This was the most direct acknowledgement ever of state capture by the Gupta brothers. 
 
According to the South African government's estimates, more than 35 billion dollars were stolen from its coffers. Most of this&nbsp;due to the alleged corruption by Zuma and the Guptas. 
 
After Zuma's unceremonious exit, the ANC faced widespread public anger and suffered a major electoral defeat in the 2016 municipal polls. losing power in key cities like Johannesburg and Tshwane.

"State capture took place under our watch as the governing party. It involved some members and leaders of our organisation and it found fertile ground in the divisions, in the weaknesses and the tendencies that have developed in our organisation since 1994.", said Ramaphosa, who is also president of ANC. &nbsp;

"But we all acknowledge that the organisation could and should have done more to prevent the abuse of power”, he added.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In a bid to win back power in the upcoming October elections, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa is cracking down on corruption in his own party and in the process, he is also tightening his grip over the ANC.

In a bid to win back power in the upcoming October elections, South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa is cracking down on corruption in his own party and in the process, he is also tightening his grip over the ANC. The African National Congress (ANC), has suspended Ace Magashule, secretary-general of the ruling party of South Africa. An influential member of ANC, Magashule is a key opponent of President Cyril Ramaphosa and a loyalist of the former president Jacob Zuma, who lost power after the Gupta corruption scandal exploded four years ago. Magashule faces serious charges of money laundering and fraud. According to reports, he was part of a "premier league" of provincial leaders who backed Zuma through his many scandals. Even after Zuma’s exit from power in 2018, Magashule managed to survive politically. President Ramasposa himself went before investigators and testified against his own party members. He said that over the past decade, a systematic looting of South Africa was allowed by the ANC under Zuma's reign. This was the most direct acknowledgement ever of state capture by the Gupta brothers. According to the South African government's estimates, more than 35 billion dollars were stolen from its coffers. Most of this due to the alleged corruption by Zuma and the Guptas. After Zuma's unceremonious exit, the ANC faced widespread public anger and suffered a major electoral defeat in the 2016 municipal polls. losing power in key cities like Johannesburg and Tshwane. "State capture took place under our watch as the governing party. It involved some members and leaders of our organisation and it found fertile ground in the divisions, in the weaknesses and the tendencies that have developed in our organisation since 1994.", said Ramaphosa, who is also president of ANC. "But we all acknowledge that the organisation could and should have done more to prevent the abuse of power”, he added.

South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa targets corruption within own party

Youth unemployment in South Africa has become a "national crisis", <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-africa-the-five-labours-of-cyril-ramaphosa-221447">President Cyril Ramaphosa</a> said on Sunday at an event commemorating youth activism during the apartheid era.

Unemployment in Africa's most advanced economy has remained stubbornly high since white minority rule ended 25 years ago, and creating jobs is a major challenge for Ramaphosa as he aims to reignite an underperforming economy.

Unemployment inched up to 27.6% in the first quarter, official data showed in May, underscoring the task faced by Ramaphosa after his ANC party won re-election last month.

An expanded category of unemployment, including people who have stopped looking for work, rose to 38% in the first quarter from 37.0% in the previous three-month period.

"We are very much alive to the fact that youth unemployment is indeed a national crisis," Ramaphosa told an audience of mainly young people and students on National Youth Day.

The day honours scores of students killed during the 1976 Soweto uprising that helped focus global attention on the brutality of apartheid.

According to government agency Stats SA, the burden of unemployment is concentrated among the 15-34 age group who account for almost two-thirds of the jobless. Around four out of 10 young people do not have a job.

Youth unemployment in South Africa has become a "national crisis", President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday at an event commemorating youth activism during the apartheid era.

Youth unemployment in South Africa has become a "national crisis", President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Sunday at an event commemorating youth activism during the apartheid era. Unemployment in Africa's most advanced economy has remained stubbornly high since white minority rule ended 25 years ago, and creating jobs is a major challenge for Ramaphosa as he aims to reignite an underperforming economy. Unemployment inched up to 27.6% in the first quarter, official data showed in May, underscoring the task faced by Ramaphosa after his ANC party won re-election last month. An expanded category of unemployment, including people who have stopped looking for work, rose to 38% in the first quarter from 37.0% in the previous three-month period. "We are very much alive to the fact that youth unemployment is indeed a national crisis," Ramaphosa told an audience of mainly young people and students on National Youth Day. The day honours scores of students killed during the 1976 Soweto uprising that helped focus global attention on the brutality of apartheid. According to government agency Stats SA, the burden of unemployment is concentrated among the 15-34 age group who account for almost two-thirds of the jobless. Around four out of 10 young people do not have a job.

South Africa youth unemployment a 'national crisis': President Cyril Ramaphosa

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's ruling ANC won re-election on Friday with an absolute majority in parliament, results showed, but with diminished support, complicating economic revival and anti-corruption efforts.

The results, published by the electoral commission, are the party's worst national showing since <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/significance-of-may-10-in-south-africa-when-democracy-trumped-racial-discrimination-217572">Nelson Mandela led it to victory</a> in the first multi-racial polls after apartheid ended in 1994.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/anc-takes-commanding-lead-in-south-africas-election-but-support-recedes-217393">African National Congress</a> (ANC) held a comfortable lead with 57.73 per cent at 1615 GMT after 95 per cent of voting districts were officially tallied following Wednesday's vote.

That means they will be mathematically assured more than 50 per cent of votes cast in the final official tally, due to be announced Saturday.

Seats in parliament are allocated based on vote share and the party with the most representatives selects the president, who will be sworn in on May 25.

President Ramaphosa, 66, took over last year when the ANC forced then-president Jacob Zuma to resign after nine years dominated by corruption allegations and economic decline.

Results released by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) showed the ANC's closest rival, the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), trailing with a distant 20.65 per cent of the vote.

The Economic Freedom Fighters, founded six years ago by former ANC youth leader Julius Malema, was in third place with 10.51 per cent -- up to four percentage points on 2014.

'A period of hope'?

"The ANC is being given a chance," said political analyst Lumkile Mondi. "This is an opportunity for them to reincarnate themselves."

"The ANC is never going to perform any better, it's a dying party, it continues shedding votes -- because it does not have economic management capability."

Ramaphosa has so far faced resistance to his reform agenda, especially from Zuma's allies who still occupy several high-ranking positions in the party and government.

After casting his ballot on Wednesday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-africas-ramaphosa-casts-vote-vows-to-grow-economy-217005">Ramaphosa said the election</a> was "heralding new dawn... a period of renewal, a period of hope".

The ANC's reputation was badly sullied under Zuma. Its support has fallen in every election since 2004 with the party taking 54 per cent in 2016 municipal elections, compared with 62 per cent in 2014's national vote.

Forty-eight parties contested the elections -- a record number.

Asked if Ramaphosa's favourable reputation had saved the ANC from defeat, party secretary-general Ace Magashule insisted "people have voted the ANC, they haven't voted for any person".

But Susan Booysen, a visiting professor at the Wits School of governance, said, "it is a lower percentage but it is way higher for the ANC than it would have been had Zuma been still in power".

The conservative and predominantly white Freedom Front Plus party, founded in 1994 during the negotiations to end apartheid, was performing unexpectedly well as the fifth-placed party in the vote. They were previously seventh.

The economy grew just 0.8 per cent in 2018 and unemployment hovers around 27 per cent -- soaring to over 50 per cent among young people.

"(We) liberated this country so we would have expected more," said ANC spokesman Dakota Legoete ahead of the latest results. "(But) in 2014 we did not have 48 parties... now we have 48 parties, 47 of them are competing for the jugular vein of the ANC."

About 26.8 million people were registered to vote but only around 65.6 per cent turned out.

Mandla Booi, 45, a voter in Port Elizabeth on the south coast, said, "the ANC has taken people for granted".

"There is some arrogance which has crept in."

'Era of political realignment'

The main opposition DA had sought to shed its image as a white, middle-class party with its first black leader, Mmusi Maimane, contesting his first general election since taking the helm in 2015.

"Even though we've lost some votes, we've held the centre -- and I will lead that project going forward," he told reporters at the results centre.

"It may not have happened this time, but come 2021, 2024 (elections) we can demonstrate... that we can hold South Africans together."

Malema's EFF made major gains, growing from 6.3 per cent in the 2014 poll.

"In the next election there will not be any outright winner... so we are going to enter the era of coalitions before there's another big party that can emerge," said EFF chairman Dali Mpofu. "We are going into an era of political realignment."

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's ruling ANC won re-election on Friday with an absolute majority in parliament, results showed, but with diminished support, complicating economic revival and anti-corruption efforts.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's ruling ANC won re-election on Friday with an absolute majority in parliament, results showed, but with diminished support, complicating economic revival and anti-corruption efforts. The results, published by the electoral commission, are the party's worst national showing since Nelson Mandela led it to victory in the first multi-racial polls after apartheid ended in 1994. The African National Congress (ANC) held a comfortable lead with 57.73 per cent at 1615 GMT after 95 per cent of voting districts were officially tallied following Wednesday's vote. That means they will be mathematically assured more than 50 per cent of votes cast in the final official tally, due to be announced Saturday. Seats in parliament are allocated based on vote share and the party with the most representatives selects the president, who will be sworn in on May 25. President Ramaphosa, 66, took over last year when the ANC forced then-president Jacob Zuma to resign after nine years dominated by corruption allegations and economic decline. Results released by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) showed the ANC's closest rival, the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), trailing with a distant 20.65 per cent of the vote. The Economic Freedom Fighters, founded six years ago by former ANC youth leader Julius Malema, was in third place with 10.51 per cent -- up to four percentage points on 2014. 'A period of hope'? "The ANC is being given a chance," said political analyst Lumkile Mondi. "This is an opportunity for them to reincarnate themselves." "The ANC is never going to perform any better, it's a dying party, it continues shedding votes -- because it does not have economic management capability." Ramaphosa has so far faced resistance to his reform agenda, especially from Zuma's allies who still occupy several high-ranking positions in the party and government. After casting his ballot on Wednesday, Ramaphosa said the election was "heralding new dawn... a period of renewal, a period of hope". The ANC's reputation was badly sullied under Zuma. Its support has fallen in every election since 2004 with the party taking 54 per cent in 2016 municipal elections, compared with 62 per cent in 2014's national vote. Forty-eight parties contested the elections -- a record number. Asked if Ramaphosa's favourable reputation had saved the ANC from defeat, party secretary-general Ace Magashule insisted "people have voted the ANC, they haven't voted for any person". But Susan Booysen, a visiting professor at the Wits School of governance, said, "it is a lower percentage but it is way higher for the ANC than it would have been had Zuma been still in power". The conservative and predominantly white Freedom Front Plus party, founded in 1994 during the negotiations to end apartheid, was performing unexpectedly well as the fifth-placed party in the vote. They were previously seventh. The economy grew just 0.8 per cent in 2018 and unemployment hovers around 27 per cent -- soaring to over 50 per cent among young people. "(We) liberated this country so we would have expected more," said ANC spokesman Dakota Legoete ahead of the latest results. "(But) in 2014 we did not have 48 parties... now we have 48 parties, 47 of them are competing for the jugular vein of the ANC." About 26.8 million people were registered to vote but only around 65.6 per cent turned out. Mandla Booi, 45, a voter in Port Elizabeth on the south coast, said, "the ANC has taken people for granted". "There is some arrogance which has crept in." 'Era of political realignment' The main opposition DA had sought to shed its image as a white, middle-class party with its first black leader, Mmusi Maimane, contesting his first general election since taking the helm in 2015. "Even though we've lost some votes, we've held the centre -- and I will lead that project going forward," he told reporters at the results centre. "It may not have happened this time, but come 2021, 2024 (elections) we can demonstrate... that we can hold South Africans together." Malema's EFF made major gains, growing from 6.3 per cent in the 2014 poll. "In the next election there will not be any outright winner... so we are going to enter the era of coalitions before there's another big party that can emerge," said EFF chairman Dali Mpofu. "We are going into an era of political realignment."

Cyril Ramaphosa's ANC wins closely-watched South Africa poll with absolute majority

South Africans will head to polls in May 2019, officials said Wednesday, with President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ruling ANC party seeking to reverse growing voter discontent over the weak economy.

The ANC, which has held power since the end of apartheid in 1994, recorded its worst electoral performance in local polls in 2016 before it replaced scandal-tainted Jacob Zuma with Ramaphosa earlier this year.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) and radical Economic Freedom Fighters parties will hope to make gains in the election as unemployment hits record highs of near 28 per cent and racial inequalities remain dire.

"The commission held an engagement with the president... and subsequent to that the president then announced his intention to have elections before the end of May," Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairman Glen Mashinini told reporters.

"We normally do it on a public holiday on a Wednesday. It will be one of those Wednesdays within the month of May after the 7th of May."

Ramaphosa, a former trade unionist and wealthy businessman, is expected to announce the election date in February.

At the last national elections, held in 2014, the African National Congress (ANC) won 62 per cent of the vote, the DA won 22 per cent and EFF took six per cent.

In local elections in 2016, ANC support fell to 53 per cent -- pointing to a fiercely contested vote next year.

An October poll by Afrobarometer suggested 48 per cent of South Africans would vote for the ANC, with the DA and EFF tied on 11 per cent each.

South Africans will head to polls in May 2019, officials said Wednesday, with President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ruling ANC party seeking to reverse growing voter discontent over the weak economy.

South Africans will head to polls in May 2019, officials said Wednesday, with President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ruling ANC party seeking to reverse growing voter discontent over the weak economy. The ANC, which has held power since the end of apartheid in 1994, recorded its worst electoral performance in local polls in 2016 before it replaced scandal-tainted Jacob Zuma with Ramaphosa earlier this year. The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) and radical Economic Freedom Fighters parties will hope to make gains in the election as unemployment hits record highs of near 28 per cent and racial inequalities remain dire. "The commission held an engagement with the president... and subsequent to that the president then announced his intention to have elections before the end of May," Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairman Glen Mashinini told reporters. "We normally do it on a public holiday on a Wednesday. It will be one of those Wednesdays within the month of May after the 7th of May." Ramaphosa, a former trade unionist and wealthy businessman, is expected to announce the election date in February. At the last national elections, held in 2014, the African National Congress (ANC) won 62 per cent of the vote, the DA won 22 per cent and EFF took six per cent. In local elections in 2016, ANC support fell to 53 per cent -- pointing to a fiercely contested vote next year. An October poll by Afrobarometer suggested 48 per cent of South Africans would vote for the ANC, with the DA and EFF tied on 11 per cent each.

South Africa to hold elections in May 2019

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