Zuma likely to be South Africas next president

Post-Apartheid South Africa had its fourth general elections on Wednesday 22, April. A record number of enthusiastic voters, young and old, patiently waited in snaking ques to cast their votes in what could arguably be the largest voter turn out since Nelson Mandela's inception as president.

By Thursday morning the ruling African National Congress(ANC) was already maintaining dominance with 180 433 or 55.4% of votes. Official results released on Saturday by the Independent Electoral Commission(IEC) indicated ANC's popularity with the people, gaining 65.9% of votes.


Fierce opposition

This puts ANC ever closer to gaining the two-thirds majority that the main opposition party, Democratic Alliance(DA) has been fiercely campaigning against. According to IEC results, DA still remains the country's official opposition party with 2.95 million or 16.6% of votes. It also has majority support in the Western Cape, the only province in South Africa not ruled by ANC.

ANC's break away faction, Congress of the People(COPE), which was formed less than a year ago after former president Thabo Mbeki was ousted as president, failed to overtake the DA to become the main opposition party as they hoped for. Nonetheless, COPE Deputy President Linda Odendaal said the party is pleased with the results.

Famous actor Hlomla Dandala(in the middle wearing cap and shades), son of COPE president Mvume Dandala, was speaking at a mini-COPE rally at the Tshwane University of Technology shortly before elections. The meeting was physically disrupted by anti-COPE students and rumours around that campus are that Dandala slapped one of the students who broke up the address.

"Considering the fact that our party is fairly young, it is amazing how people supported COPE," said Odendaal at the IEC results center in Pretoria.The combined votes of much smaller parties are somewhat of a drop in the ocean, accumulating to not more than 18%, offering no real threat to the main opposition party.

Early celebrations

If its not Zuma having his corruption charges dropped a fortnight before elections, the 2009 elections will surely be remembered for; allowing expats overseas to vote and ANC losing its majority stake hold in the Western Cape province.


The results speak for themselves, pro ANC supporters around SA are already planning celebrations for the inaugaration of Jacob Zuma as the next president.

Total Number of votes per party (April 25 2009):

• ANC: 11,650,748 (65.9%)

• DA: 2,945,829 (16.66%)

• COPE: 1,311,027 (7.42%)

• IFP: 804,260 (4.55%)

• ID: 162,915 (0.92%)

• Other: 805, 950 (4.56%)

All pics and writing- Mooketsi Nthite