South Africa elections 2024: Can ANC overcome challenge from Zuma, DA, EFF and others? - BBC News
South Africa elections 2024: The pivotal vote as it happened - BBC News
(29 days later)
Polls
have officially closed in South Africa, where there have been long queues
reminiscent of those 30 years ago at the end of apartheid.
The
electoral commission says people in lines to vote by 21:00 local time (19:00
GMT) will still be able to do so - and police had been deployed to ensure the safety
of voters.
There was a late surge at polling stations,
especially in urban areas, it said, predicting turnout would be higher than the
last poll.
Key moments of the day include:
The staying power of voters - some queued
for more than seven hours and the EFF leader Julius Malema queued for three hours to cast his ballot
Supporters of ex-President Jacob Zuma, who is campaigning against
the ANC for the new MK party, ululating and chanting his clan names as he arrived
to vote in his home village
Best quote from a Johannesburg voter dressed up in a yellow and
black outfit: “I’m ANC, right to my underwear.”
A reminder of why the
vote is so important:
It could see the ANC lose its majority for the
first time since 1994 when Nelson Mandela came to power as the country’s
first democratically elected president
The
party has been under fire over widespread corruption in government, the
high levels of unemployment, deteriorating public services and rampant
crime
It may be forced to enter into a coalition with one or more opposition parties.
South Africans do not directly vote for a president. Instead they vote for MPs who will then go on to elect the president. The leader of the party that can muster a majority in the National Assembly is likely to become the next head of state.
First results should start trickling in overnight - for the latest go to BBCAfrica.com.
Here’s a brief overview of the main party leaders:
Cyril Ramaphosa: South Africa’s current president and leader of the African National Congress (ANC), he’s running for a second term.
The 71-year-old has a wide ranging CV. He’s a political veteran who helped Nelson Mandela negotiate an end to apartheid, but has also been a trade unionist, mine boss and business tycoon.
Ramaphosa’s first term in office has been beset by issues such as high unemployment, widespread power cuts and corruption allegations. He promises to create millions of new jobs, end corruption and boost investment.
John Steenhuisen: Heads South Africa’s second largest party, which makes him leader of the opposition.
Along with his party, the liberal Democratic Alliance(DA), Steenhuisen wants greater privatisation. He has also pledged to end power cuts and halve the rate of violent crime.
However, Steenhuisen faces the thorny issue of race. He’s a white man in a country where white people constitute just 7% of the population, yet hold a disproportionate amount of economic power. Thus, numerous commentators question whether South Africa is “ready” for a white president.
Julius Malema: Leads South Africa’s third largest party, the radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
His focus is on inequality and the ANC’s failure to sufficiently redistribute land from the white minority to the black majority.
This stance, as well as his fiery speeches, has built Malema a considerable following of both poor black South Africans and young voters.
The 43-year-old is also known for generating controversy, throughout his political career he has offended a wide range of people and been convicted twice for hate speech.
Read more about these party leaders here:
Julius Malema - South Africa's radical agenda-setter
John Steenhuisen - The DA leader vowing to 'rescue' South Africa
Cyril Ramaphosa - South African union leader, mine boss, president
Facebook
Facebook
Twitter
Twitter
ShareView more share optionsShare this postCopy this linkRead more about these links.
ShareView more share optionsShare this postCopy this linkRead more about these links.
