Johannesburg, South Africa – Counting began after South Africans voted Wednesday in an election widely regarded as the most crucial since the end of apartheid three decades ago. The election, conducted in a single day, saw 14 hours of voting at over 23,000 stations across the nation’s nine provinces.
While officials have begun counting the ballots, the final results are not expected for several days. The independent electoral commission overseeing the process announced that the results would be made public by Sunday.
This election is pivotal, with the three-decade dominance of the African National Congress (ANC) at stake. The ANC, which played a crucial role in transitioning South Africa from apartheid to democracy in 1994, now faces significant challenges from a new generation dissatisfied with current conditions.
South Africa, a country of 62 million people, has half of its population living in poverty. The ANC, after winning six consecutive national elections, has seen its support plummet, with several opinion polls indicating that their support could drop below 50% — an unprecedented decline.
Although the ANC is expected to retain the most seats, it may lose its majority in Parliament for the first time.
