South Africans Vote in What's Being Framed as Most Important Election Since Apartheid Ended

Johannesburg: South Africans voted Wednesday at schools, community centres, and in large white tents set up in open fields in an election seen as ir country’s most important since aparid ended 30 years ago. It could put young democracy into unknown territory. At stake is three-dece dominance of African National Congress party, which led South Africa out of aparid’s brutal white minority rule and to democracy in 1994.

It is now target of a new generation of discontent in a country of 62 million people — half of whom are estimated to be living in poverty.

After casting his vote, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that he h no doubt his ANC would win again with "a firm majority.”

main opposition leer, John Steenhuisen, countered: “For first time in 30 years, re is now a path to victory for opposition.”

Africa’s most vanced economy has some of world’s deepest socioeconomic problems, including one of worst unemployment rates at 32 per cent.

lingering inequality, with poverty disproportionately affecting Black majority, threatens to unseat party that promised to end it by bringing down aparid under slogan of a better life for all.

“Our main issue here in our community is lack of jobs," said Samuel Ratshalingwa, who was near front of line at same school in Johannesburg township of Soweto where Ramaphosa voted. He came out before 07:00 on a chilly winter morning.

"We have to use vote to make our voices heard about this problem,” Ratshalingwa said.

After winning six successive national elections, several polls have put ANC’s support at less than 50 per cent before this vote, an unprecedented drop. It might lose its majority in Parliament for first time, although it’s widely expected to hold most seats.

ANC won 57.5 per cent of vote in last national election in 2019, its worst result to date and down from a high of nearly 70 per cent in 2004.

That slide has been attributed to widespre poverty, but also numerous ANC corruption scandals and a failure of basic government services that see many communities go without running water, electricity or proper housing.

Ramaphosa, leer of ANC, has promised to “do better."

71-year-old Ramaphosa sat alongside or voters in Soweto, where he was born and which was once centre of resistance to aparid. He shook hands with two smiling officials who registered him before voting.

“I have no doubt whatsoever in my heart of hearts that people will once again invest confidence in African National Congress to continue to le this country,” Ramaphosa said.

Any change in ANC’s hold on power could be monumental for South Africa. If it does lose its majority, ANC will likely face prospect of a coalition with ors to stay in government and keep Ramaphosa as president for a second term. ANC having to co-govern has never happened before.

South Africans vote for parties, not directly for ir president. parties n get seats in Parliament according to ir share of vote and lawmakers elect president.

election was to be held on one day across South Africa’s nine provinces, with nearly 28 million people registered to vote at more than 23,000 polling stations. Final results are expected by Sunday.

opposition to ANC in this is fierce, but fragmented. two biggest opposition parties, centrist Democratic Alliance and far-left Economic Freedom Fighters, are not predicted to increase ir vote by anything near enough to overtake ANC.

That's largely because disgruntled South Africans are moving to an array of opposition parties; more than 50 will contest national election, many of m new. One is led by South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma, who has turned against his former ANC allies.

Zuma was disqualified from standing as a candidate for Parliament but his MK Party is still contesting and is wild card.

Steenhuisen, leer of main opposition Democratic Alliance, said South Africa was now heing to “coalition country."

He conceded his party probably wouldn’t gain a majority, but put faith in a preelection agreement with or smaller parties to combine ir vote to remove ANC.

“I don’t think we’re going to solve problems of South Africa by keeping same people around same table making same b decisions for same b results,” Steenhuisen said.

ANC says it's confident of retaining its majority and analysts haven't ruled that out, given party's unmatched grassroots campaigning machine. It still has wide support.

“I woke up at 04:00 this morning, took a bath and me my way,” said 68-year-old Velaphi Banda, ding that he has voted for ANC since 1994 and would do so again. “I was never undecided about which party I will vote for. I have always known.”

Ramaphosa has pointed out how South Africa is a far better country now than under aparid, when Black people were barred from voting, weren’t allowed to move around freely, h to live in certain areas and were oppressed in every way.

This election is only South Africa's seventh national vote in which people of all races are allowed to take part.

Memories of that era of aparid, and defining election that ended it in 1994, still frame much of everyday South Africa. But fewer remember it as time goes on, and this election might give voice to a new generation.

“I feel like re are just no opportunities for young people in this area,” said 27-year-old Innocentia Zitha of her neighbourhood.

While 80 per cent of South Africans are Black, it’s a multiracial country with significant populations of white people, those of Indian descent, those with biracial heritage and ors. re are 12 official languages.

vote will also showcase country’s contrictions, from economic hub of Johannesburg — labeled Africa’s richest city — to picturesque tourist destination of Cape Town, to informal settlements of shacks in ir outskirts, and more remote rural areas.

In one of those in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province, 72-year-old grandmor mbekile Ngema and ors walked 20 minutes over rolling hills to get to ir polling station.

Voting was due to start at 07:00 (0500 GMT) and end at 21:00. (1900 GMT).

independent electoral commission that runs election said re were some problems with stations opening on time but y were minor. South Africa has held peaceful and credible elections since a violent buildup to pivotal 1994 election.

Nearly 3,000 soldiers will be deployed across country to ensure everything is orderly, authorities said.