African National Congress wins South Africa's general election

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The African National Congress (ANC) won 57.5 percent of the vote in South Africa's election, the electoral commission website showed on Saturday.

The election, which started on Wednesday, is the country's sixth national and provincial elections since the country's first multiracial ballot in 1994.

The main opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA) picked up 20.77 percent, and the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters garnered 10.79 percent, the Independent Electoral Commission said on its website.

South African President and leader of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, Cyril Ramaphosa speaks at the announcement of results of the country's parliamentary and provincial elections in Pretoria, South Africa, May 11, 2019. /Reuters Photo‍

The ANC's victory secures it enough seats in parliament to give President Cyril Ramaphosa another five years in office but may leave him short of ammunition to battle party rivals who oppose his reforms to galvanize the economy and counter graft.

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"Let us now work together, black and white, men and women, young and old, to build a South Africa that truly belongs to all that live in it,” the president said in a speech after his party was declared the winner.

The turnout for Wednesday's vote was markedly lower than at the last election in 2014, falling to 66 percent from 73.5 percent, the electoral commission said.

The ANC's seats in the 400-member parliament fell to 230 from 249. The main opposition Democratic Alliance also saw its number of seats fall to 84 from 89, while the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters gained 19 seats to 44. South Africa uses a system of proportional representation.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks during an African National Congress (ANC) election rally in Tongaat, near Durban, South Africa, May 4, 2019. /Reuters Photo‍

It was the worst electoral performance by the ANC which has governed South Africa since the country's first free election marked the end of white minority rule in 1994.

The ANC had not previously won less than 60 percent of the vote in a national poll.

The DA's communications director Mabine Seabe said the party viewed the outcome as “a positive result. We've grown in communities we've never grown before.”

ANC Chairman Gwede Mantashe said the party had received “another lifeline” from voters. He said the party had improved compared with the 54 percent it won in the 2016 local government poll.

"So we are picking up from that disaster,” he said.

Election officials said voting was generally smooth.

But 27 smaller parties, of 48 that ran in total, alleged irregularities and threatened legal action, which the electoral commission said it would oppose. International observers said the elections were free and fair.

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Source(s): Reuters