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| Zuma vows to unite South Africa | Zuma vows to unite South Africa |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Jacob Zuma, the man expected to become South Africa's president after his ANC party's electoral victory, has said he will work to unite the country. | Jacob Zuma, the man expected to become South Africa's president after his ANC party's electoral victory, has said he will work to unite the country. |
| "We have gone through a difficult period... it is now time to put it all behind us," he said in Pretoria after official results were announced. | "We have gone through a difficult period... it is now time to put it all behind us," he said in Pretoria after official results were announced. |
| The ANC won 65.9% of the vote but failed to obtain its previous two-thirds majority. | The ANC won 65.9% of the vote but failed to obtain its previous two-thirds majority. |
| A two-thirds majority in parliament is needed to change the constitution. | A two-thirds majority in parliament is needed to change the constitution. |
| They [some journalists] now find the two-thirds [majority] is an issue instead of congratulating the ANC for winning decisively Jacob Zuma ANC leader | |
| Rejecting opposition allegations, Mr Zuma added that the ANC posed no threat to the constitution. | Rejecting opposition allegations, Mr Zuma added that the ANC posed no threat to the constitution. |
| "There will be no surprises in the next administration's programme of action," he said. | "There will be no surprises in the next administration's programme of action," he said. |
| "The electorate has endorsed our call for an equitable, sustainable and inclusive growth path that will bring decent work and sustainable livelihoods." | "The electorate has endorsed our call for an equitable, sustainable and inclusive growth path that will bring decent work and sustainable livelihoods." |
| The ANC will have 264 seats in parliament - just short of a two-thirds majority. | |
| name="story"> class="bodl" href="#graph">See a table of the results | |
| The official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), will have 67 seats while in third place with 30 seats is the recently formed Congress of the People (Cope), which evolved last year from splits within the ANC. | |
| South Africa is priding itself tonight on a well-run and highly successful election, BBC South Africa correspondent Peter Biles reports from Pretoria. | |
| The excitement and enthusiasm of voters had reminded everyone of the country's first democratic elections in 1994, he adds. | |
| Mr Zuma will be sworn in as president in two weeks' time after his election by the new parliament. | |
| Enigmatic leader | Enigmatic leader |
| The ANC won 69.69% of the vote in the last election in 2004, when it was led by Thabo Mbeki, and 66.35% in 1999. | The ANC won 69.69% of the vote in the last election in 2004, when it was led by Thabo Mbeki, and 66.35% in 1999. |
| class="lp" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=6376&edition=2&ttl=20090424124501">HAVE YOUR SAY class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=6376&edition=2&ttl=20090424112546">I am hoping that Jacob Zuma will lead by example Ntombi, Cape Town | |
| Mr Zuma told reporters he was happy with the ANC's share of the vote, which dropped by nearly 4%. | |
| "It's not a disappointment," he said. | |
| "I know that some of your colleagues were trying to shift the goalposts when we have won with a decisive majority. They now find the two-thirds is an issue instead of congratulating the ANC for winning decisively." | |
| During the election campaign, DA leader Helen Zille had urged South Africans to deny the ANC a two-thirds majority, arguing that the party would use it to protect Mr Zuma from new corruption charges. | During the election campaign, DA leader Helen Zille had urged South Africans to deny the ANC a two-thirds majority, arguing that the party would use it to protect Mr Zuma from new corruption charges. |
| Previous charges of corruption against Mr Zuma were dropped just two weeks before the poll after state prosecutors said there had been political interference in the case. | Previous charges of corruption against Mr Zuma were dropped just two weeks before the poll after state prosecutors said there had been political interference in the case. |
| The challenges which confront Mr Zuma now include a struggling economy and soaring violent crime. | The challenges which confront Mr Zuma now include a struggling economy and soaring violent crime. |
| "We are concerned about the potential impact of the global economic crisis," he said in his speech on Saturday. | |
| "We will work with all stakeholders, especially business and labour, to find ways to prevent and cushion our people against job losses and other difficulties that may arise." | |
| The BBC's Africa analyst, Martin Plaut, says the ANC leader is still something of an enigma - part Zulu traditionalist, part international leader who jets around the world. | The BBC's Africa analyst, Martin Plaut, says the ANC leader is still something of an enigma - part Zulu traditionalist, part international leader who jets around the world. |
| During the fight against apartheid Mr Zuma was head of internal security for the ANC, when some people were killed and some tortured. | During the fight against apartheid Mr Zuma was head of internal security for the ANC, when some people were killed and some tortured. |
| It is not clear how much he knew or sanctioned, says our correspondent. | It is not clear how much he knew or sanctioned, says our correspondent. |
| But Mr Zuma is also a skilled conciliator, credited with ending the political violence in KwaZulu-Natal and helping to bring peace to Burundi. | But Mr Zuma is also a skilled conciliator, credited with ending the political violence in KwaZulu-Natal and helping to bring peace to Burundi. |
| Polls praised | Polls praised |
| The ANC lost Western Cape province - centre of the tourist industry - to the DA although it made inroads against the Inkatha Freedom Party in Kwazulu-Natal, home province of Mr Zuma. | |
| Helen Zille, who received a hero's welcome in Cape Town, told the BBC the opposition had managed to reduce the ANC's grip on the country. | Helen Zille, who received a hero's welcome in Cape Town, told the BBC the opposition had managed to reduce the ANC's grip on the country. |
| "The results are very good for South Africa," she told Focus on Africa. | "The results are very good for South Africa," she told Focus on Africa. |
| "They are very good for democracy. The ANC is below the two-thirds majority they need to adversely change the constitution. The Democratic Alliance has grown by more than 30% nationally and we have doubled our vote in the Western Cape, where we've won the province which is wonderful." | "They are very good for democracy. The ANC is below the two-thirds majority they need to adversely change the constitution. The Democratic Alliance has grown by more than 30% nationally and we have doubled our vote in the Western Cape, where we've won the province which is wonderful." |
| African Union observer mission head Salim Ahmed Salim said the poll had been free, fair, transparent and credible. | African Union observer mission head Salim Ahmed Salim said the poll had been free, fair, transparent and credible. |
| Its vibrancy "had done honour not only to the people of South Africa but to Africa as a whole", he said. | Its vibrancy "had done honour not only to the people of South Africa but to Africa as a whole", he said. |
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