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ANC scores
66% victory easily won the super-majority in 2004 polls,
but this year two smaller parties emerged as
the voice of the opposition, taking some votes
away from the ANC as well as from a slate of
minor parties.
The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA)
PRETORIA: Jacob Zuma (pix) on Saturday won 67 seats, while the upstart Congress of
claimed victory for his ruling ANC party in the People or COPE, which broke away from
South Africa’s general election, vowing to the ANC late last year, landed third with 30
steer a steady course in government while seats.
working to unite the nation. Zuma, 67, is now The ANC also swept provincial elections,
certain to become president when the new except for the Western Cape which is home
parliament convenes early next month to to the city of Cape Town, where the DA won
elect the head of state, after the African Na- a majority for the first time.
tional Congress (ANC) scored a 66% victory But the ANC edged out the Zulu-dominated
in Wednesday’s polls. Inkatha Freedom Party in its stronghold of
Speaking on national television shortly KwaZulu-Natal province, winning a majority
after the final results were announced, Zuma for the first time in the region that was the
hailed the victory but also sought to reassure scene of deadly inter-party clashes ahead of
his critics. the first democratic elections after the end of
“Working together we will make it a apartheid in 1994.
government for all South Africans,” he said. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
“The new president of the republic will be a called Zuma on Friday to congratulate him on
president for all, and he will work to unite the his party’s success, a spokesman in London
country. “We do not take the mandate lightly, said, to show “our desire to work closely with
we know the responsibility that comes with the new South African government.”
it,” the ANC leader said. The African Union declared the election
“Our resounding victory is a celebration free and fair in a preliminary report com-
for people from all walks of life,” he said. “We mending the smooth conduct of the elections.
are very grateful and humbled by the decisive Zuma has experienced massive support from
mandate we have received from millions of his mainly working-class devotees who hope
South Africans.” the populist leader is their ticket to improved
The ANC scooped 264 seats in the 400- public services and more jobs.
member parliament, just two seats shy of the But he will take power as the economy is
two-thirds super-majority needed to amend sliding into a recession, with thousands of
the constitution at will. workers in the crucial mining industry laid
The former liberation movement had off earlier this year. – AFP