South Africans Voting Today In Crucial Elections As ANC Popularity Wanes

Voters in South Africa are casting their ballots on Wednesday May 29, in the most competitive election since the end of apartheid.

Voters are choosing a new national parliament that will select the country’s next president and provincial assemblies. Although the ruling African National Congress, ANC, continues to lead in the polls, President Cyril Ramaphosa ultimate victory is not cast on concrete, but likely.

Notwithstanding, opinion polls suggest that the ANC may lose its parliamentary majority at least for the first time in thirty years.

Voters are considering opposition parties due to high unemployment, crime, frequent power outages, and corruption. Nevertheless, older ones tend to still prefer ANC for stability and experience. One 62-year-old voter, Charles Louw, told journalists in Johannesburg he voted for ANC after leaving the polling booth. “The ANC is experienced and capable of handling situations,” he said. “But new parties, where will they start?“

The ANC, led by Nelson Mandela, first came to power in South Africa’s multi-racial election in 1994 and has maintained a majority in national elections every five years since. However, its share of the vote has gradually declined. If it falls below 50% this time, the ANC may need to form coalitions with smaller parties, presenting new challenges for the country’s young democracy.

Early lines began forming at polling stations in major cities such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban around 7 a.m. (0500 GMT), with queues also seen in townships and rural areas.

Over 23,000 polling places are open until 9 p.m., serving the 27 million registered voters in South Africa. Six hours into the poll, Masego Sheburi, a senior electoral commission official, stated, “We may match or surpass the 66% voter turnout seen in the last election in 2019.” The election appeared to be proceeding smoothly, with 93% of polling places opening on schedule. There were a few isolated incidents, including voters in Johannesburg being turned away due to registration issues and delays in ballot arrivals in Alexandra.

John Steenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in the last election, called on voters to support change. “This is the most consequential election since 1994,” he said in Durban.

Leading the opposition is the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), led by Julius Malema, who aims to unseat the ANC. The EFF advocates for redistributing land from white farmers and nationalizing banks and mines. In Seshego, Limpopo, Malema declared, “We’re here to take over the government,” intending to “remove the ANC.”

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