Vote counting has begun late Wednesday night across South Africa after a hard-fought national and provincial election day that could upend the African National Congress’ (ANC) three-decade grip on power.
While polls closed at 9pm local time as scheduled in most areas, some cities saw delays that pushed the start of the counting process well past the intended deadline. With results trickling in, elections officials have cautioned that final tallies may not be announced until Sunday at the earliest.
In the early hours of Thursday morning, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced the first batch of results from the election, with the ANC taking a lead according to these initial counts though it is still early.
At stake is the ANC’s ruling majority, which has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994. Opinion polls ahead of the vote indicated a tight race, with the possibility that the ANC could fail to secure over 50% of the vote for the first time.
Such an outcome would be a seismic shift, forcing President Cyril Ramaphosa to form a coalition government with opposition parties. Ramaphosa has campaigned on an anti-corruption platform and promised to revive the economy, but has faced headwinds including rolling power blackouts.
For years, the ANC has relied on its liberation struggle credentials and the legacy of Nelson Mandela. However, anger over poor public services, persistent racial inequality, and unemployment levels near 35% have eaten away at its dominance.
As ballot counting continues through the night, all eyes are on the ANC’s performance in its traditional strongholds and whether it will be able to maintain an outright majority.
The final results will decide the course of Africa’s most industrialized economy over the next five years.
