The National Assembly election was won by the ruling African National
Congress (ANC), but with a reduced majority of 57.50%, down from 62.15%
in the 2014 election. This was also the ANC's lowest vote share since
the election after the end of apartheid in 1994
The African National Congress (ANC)won a healthy majority with 57.5 percent -- or 230 out of the 400 parliamentary seats.
But that still represented 19 seats fewer than in 2014.
The official results, as declared by the Electoral Commission, were therefore the ANC's poorest ever showing in its long electoral run, which started in 1994, when Nelson Mandela led it to victory in the first multi-racial polls.
ANC has been battling corruption scandals, sluggish economic growth, record unemployment and poverty -- issues its leader Cyril Ramaphosa, a veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, has promised to tackle.
But its poor electoral showing could hamper efforts to revive the flagging economy and fight corruption.
Businessman Ramaphosa, 66, took over last year when the ANC forced then-president Jacob Zuma to resign after nine years dominated by graft allegations and economic decline.
The ANC's closest rival, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), trailed at a distant 20.7 percent or 84 seats.
The radical left Economic Freedom Fighters, founded six years ago by former ANC youth leader Julius Malema, came third with 10.79 percent. But that was four percentage points more than in 2014 and means a jump from 25 to and 44 parliamentary seats
The conservative and predominantly white Freedom Front Plus, founded in 1994 during the negotiations to end apartheid, performed unexpectedly well, picking up 10 seats -- six more than in 2014.
The African National Congress (ANC)won a healthy majority with 57.5 percent -- or 230 out of the 400 parliamentary seats.
But that still represented 19 seats fewer than in 2014.
The official results, as declared by the Electoral Commission, were therefore the ANC's poorest ever showing in its long electoral run, which started in 1994, when Nelson Mandela led it to victory in the first multi-racial polls.
ANC has been battling corruption scandals, sluggish economic growth, record unemployment and poverty -- issues its leader Cyril Ramaphosa, a veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle, has promised to tackle.
But its poor electoral showing could hamper efforts to revive the flagging economy and fight corruption.
Businessman Ramaphosa, 66, took over last year when the ANC forced then-president Jacob Zuma to resign after nine years dominated by graft allegations and economic decline.
The ANC's closest rival, the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), trailed at a distant 20.7 percent or 84 seats.
The radical left Economic Freedom Fighters, founded six years ago by former ANC youth leader Julius Malema, came third with 10.79 percent. But that was four percentage points more than in 2014 and means a jump from 25 to and 44 parliamentary seats
The conservative and predominantly white Freedom Front Plus, founded in 1994 during the negotiations to end apartheid, performed unexpectedly well, picking up 10 seats -- six more than in 2014.
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