South Africans have trooped out on Wednesday, May 29 to cast their votes in the most competitive election since apartheid ended. Opinion polls have suggested that the African National Congress (ANC) will be defeated in its parliamentary majority after 30 years in government.
Polling stations had opened around 7 a.m. (0500 GMT), and voters filed up at some locations including Hitekani Primary School in Soweto close to Johannesburg, where President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to arrive to vote later.
The ANC political party had swept to power in South Africa’s first multi-racial election in 1994, with the help of Nelson Mandela, and the party has won a majority in the national elections that had held every five years since then, although its share of the vote has steadily declined since then.
If its voter count falls short of 50% in this election, the ANC will have to broker a deal with one or two lesser parties to be able to govern.
Uncertainties aside, the ANC is still predicted to collate the biggest share of the vote, meaning that its party leader, Ramaphosa, will remain president, unless the party performs poorly than expected and he faces an internal dispute.
What It Means
The significance of this election cannot be overstated. For the first time since the end of apartheid, South Africa’s ruling party, the ANC, is facing a serious challenge to its parliamentary majority.
After 30 years in power, the ANC’s declining voter support reflects growing public dissatisfaction with its governance. If the ANC fails to secure a majority, it will need to form a coalition, that will possibly reshape the political landscape and signal a shift in public sentiment.
This election marks a critical juncture for South Africa’s democracy and we all can only watch to see the outcome of this election.
