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South Africa elections 2024: Can ANC overcome challenge from Zuma, DA, EFF and others? - BBC News South Africa elections 2024: Can ANC overcome challenge from Zuma, DA, EFF and others? - BBC News
(32 minutes later)
Nomsa Maseko Farouk Chothia
BBC News, Nkandla BBC News, Johannesburg
Here at the Joubert Park polling station in downtown Johannesburg, voters wearing the colours of the governing African National Congress (ANC) are rivalling those dressed in merchandise from uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), the breakaway party led by former President Jacob Zuma.
Surprisingly, there is no-one in the colours of the radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), despite the fact that it came second to the ANC at this polling station in the 2019 election.
In his green, gold and black outfit - the colours of the ANC - voter Patrick Nwenyi tells me: “I’m ANC, right to my underwear.”
Hundreds of Jacob Zuma supporters ululated and chanted his clan names (“Nxamala!”, “Msholozi!”) as the 82-year-old former president arrived to cast his vote in his home village of Nkandla. Nurse Loveness Nyathi is also dressed in ANC colours and knits as she stands in the queue.
Wearing a white T-shirt with the green and black colours of his party, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), Zuma greeted officials and then sat down in Ntolwane Primary School. “I’m proud of the ANC. Today we can vote and speak freely because of the ANC,” she says. She refers to the fact that the ANC led the struggle against the racist system of apartheid, which ended in 1994.
After his ID was checked and left thumb inked, he was given three ballot papers. He carefully looked through them, smiled and said “all is in order, I can see my face on ballot papers”.
Just nine days away from election day, Zuma was barred from standing in the election by South Africa's highest court. There are also a couple of people wearing MK T-shirts, which have the black power salute stamped on them.
The Constitutional Court ruled that his 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court disqualified him from the race. However, his face still appears on ballot papers. One of the MK supporters, Sabelo Mungwe, says he will vote for the party because the price of food and electricity have gone up since Zuma was ousted in 2018 by current President Cyril Ramaphosa. "The economy is worse now under these criminals,” he says
After disappearing into the polling booth, he placed all three of the ballot papers into a box and waved. He briefly interacted with his supporters before being whisked away by his bodyguards. Over years, support for the ANC has waned because of anger over high levels of corruption, crime and unemployment.
Zuma shocked South Africa last December by ditching the ANC and making a fresh bid for power under the banner of MK.
Read more:
Zuma lashes out at judges after election ban
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