ANC set to sweep SA local elections

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s ruling party was set to steamroll to victory in key local elections despite being wracked by infighting, corruption scandals and a lacklustre record in providing basic services to millions of poor.

As early provisional results trickled in from Wednesday’s elections, the African National Congress (ANC) bagged 7,6 million votes, followed way behind by the main opposition Democratic Alliance at 1,9 million, the Sapa news agency said. The Zulu-dominated Inkatha Freedom Party was a poor third, followed by the votes small Independent Democrats party.The ANC won 21 of the 27 declared seats in the Northern Cape Province and captured 13 of the 20 counted municipalities in the Western Cape, of which Cape Town is capital.Although no definitive figures have been announced, reports said the poll was marred by a poor turnout.The Sapa news agency said provisional results indicated a 46,7 per cent turnout with roughly 14 million votes cast from a pool of 21-million-plus registered voters.Voter participation in the last municipal elections was 48,08 per cent.The ANC, which has dominated South Africa’s political landscape since the end of apartheid in 1994, has recently been wracked by infighting and corruption scandals despite notching up a record victory in last year’s general elections.The bickering and leadership struggle erupted after South African President Thabo Mbeki fired his popular former deputy president Jacob Zuma, who is facing corruption and rape charges.Zuma had hitherto been viewed as Mbeki’s successor.There has also been growing anger over the ANC’s failure to live up to its ambitious pledges of providing decent housing and basic services to millions of mainly impoverished blacks.Unemployment stands at 26 per cent and more than half of the country’s 46 million people live below the breadline.The ANC trumpets the fact that more than 1,5 million households have moved from shacks to subsidised brick homes with a bathroom after the demise of apartheid.However, more than 5,6 million families still live in sub-human conditions, according to government estimates.- Nampa-AFPThe Zulu-dominated Inkatha Freedom Party was a poor third, followed by the votes small Independent Democrats party.The ANC won 21 of the 27 declared seats in the Northern Cape Province and captured 13 of the 20 counted municipalities in the Western Cape, of which Cape Town is capital.Although no definitive figures have been announced, reports said the poll was marred by a poor turnout.The Sapa news agency said provisional results indicated a 46,7 per cent turnout with roughly 14 million votes cast from a pool of 21-million-plus registered voters.Voter participation in the last municipal elections was 48,08 per cent.The ANC, which has dominated South Africa’s political landscape since the end of apartheid in 1994, has recently been wracked by infighting and corruption scandals despite notching up a record victory in last year’s general elections.The bickering and leadership struggle erupted after South African President Thabo Mbeki fired his popular former deputy president Jacob Zuma, who is facing corruption and rape charges.Zuma had hitherto been viewed as Mbeki’s successor.There has also been growing anger over the ANC’s failure to live up to its ambitious pledges of providing decent housing and basic services to millions of mainly impoverished blacks.Unemployment stands at 26 per cent and more than half of the country’s 46 million people live below the breadline.The ANC trumpets the fact that more than 1,5 million households have moved from shacks to subsidised brick homes with a bathroom after the demise of apartheid.However, more than 5,6 million families still live in sub-human conditions, according to government estimates.- Nampa-AFP