With 62.4% of the votes counted, the ANC received 41.9% of the electoral votes.
In these seventh national and local democratic elections held in South Africa, a participation rate of 58.5 per cent of registered voters was recorded, according to figures released by the Independent Electoral Commission.
Reports from that entity, as well as from several international observers, indicate that the elections were held without any significant incidents.
In second place, by a fairly large margin, is the Conservative Democratic Alliance, with 22.9 per cent of the vote, although at the provincial level the Southern Western Cape appears to have won again, with
52.7 percent.
One of the major novelties in this year’s results is the creation of a new party, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), which won the south-eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, with 44 per cent of votes registered so far, ahead of the ANC in that region. He achieved only about 19 percent.
At the national level, the Knesset Party, with a provisional 11.8%, became the third political party – due to its popular support – in the country.
On the other hand, despite overly optimistic rhetoric, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, with a temporary 9.5 percent share, fell to fourth place as a national political force.
If the current proportions are maintained, which is very likely, to form the future government, the ANC will have to form an alliance with other political forces to jointly obtain a parliamentary majority.
In their national elections, South Africans do not vote for the next president, but their direct and secret electoral right is to elect the party composition of the National Assembly.
In turn, these newly elected lawmakers, grouped into proportional representation groups according to this week’s election results, will elect a new head of state within 30 days after the election.
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