May 12
South Africa's governing party will stay in power as it secured a majority of parliament seats in Wednesday's election.
The election commission on Saturday announced the result of the poll for 400 members of the lower house. The election is held every five years. The African National Congress took 57.5 percent of the vote, retaining its single-party majority in the chamber. The ANC has been in power for straight 25 years after apartheid ended. But this is the first time the party has ended up with less than 60 percent of the vote.
The result suggests strong public discontent with economic inequality and corruption. The Democratic Alliance, an opposition group mainly supported by white people, came second with 20.8 percent. The radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters followed with 10.8 percent, nearly twice the figure in the previous election. The EFF calls for seizing land from white farmers.
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered a speech in the capital, Pretoria. He said it is certain that voters cast their ballots in favor of a more equal society and elimination of poverty. He will face the challenge of regaining public trust over how to deal with the wealth gap and take measures against corruption.
NHK
