ANC Wins South African General Election 2009

The African National Congress has won the South African General Elections for 2009 and will rule the country for another 5 years. The party has announced it is happy with its performance in the election despite missing a two-thirds majority by a whisker.

ANC spokesperson Ishmael Mnisi said the party did not need such a majority and never said it wanted one.

“We have always been very clear that we wanted a decisive win… The ANC never called for a two-thirds majority, we are quite happy with the mandate the people have given us,” he said from the centre after IEC chief electoral officer, Pansy Tlakula announced that the vote count had been completed.

The ANC received a 65.90 percent win of the 17,680,729 valid votes cast. It received the support of 11,650,748 voters.

The Democratic Alliance received 16.66 percent of votes with 2,945,829 South Africans backing the party.

The Congress of the People received 7.42 percent with 1,311,027 votes.

The emergence of COPE, a party headed by former ANC chairperson Mosieua Lekota and former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa, had served only to galvanise the ANC. That said, the ANC now have 5 years to perform or face stiffer opposition next time around from a viable black run opposition party.

Mnisi said the party would now wait for processes, which will see Zuma placed in the presidency and his cabinet selected. After that they would get to work on improving service delivery.

Zuma and incumbent president, his deputy, President Kgalema Motlanthe, are tol visit the results centre later on Saturday when IEC chairperson Brigalia Bam is expected to formally announce the results.