It is the end of political hegemony in South Africa. The African National Congress (ANC), Nelson Mandela’s party, is no longer able to govern alone. With only 40.21% of the votes obtained in the general elections, according to the provisional results of the Electoral Commission after counting 99.85% of the votes, the ANC loses its majority and will have to form a coalition.
The ANC could lose 70 seats in the National Assembly, underlines our correspondent in Johannesburg, Roman Song. The ruling party went from a score of 57% of the vote in 2019 to just 40% of the vote today.
Many aspiring ANC MPs will not go to Parliament and the ANC will have to manage these frustrations. The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party of Jacob Zuma, would obtain 58 seats, according to projections. The MK party is the phenomenon of these elections having obtained 15% of the votes, only five months after its launch. A party without any real structure or known political figure, except Jacob Zuma, who was not a candidate. Jacob Zuma contests the election results and calls for no ceremony to be held this Sunday evening.
“ We didn’t get the votes we were given », said Jacob Zuma, who campaigned claiming he would obtain more than 66% of the vote.
Read alsoSouth Africa: poll surprise, ex-president Zuma’s MK party contests the results
The Electoral Commission ensures that it analyzes each objection, but insists on maintaining the results announcement ceremony this evening around 6 p.m. Paris time, which would be a ” provocation » according to Jacob Zuma.
In addition, some 25 other small parties claim to have “ evidence of electoral fraud “. They demand a recount of votes, or even a new vote, but also the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry.
Read alsoElections in South Africa: opposition parties ready to take advantage of ANC setback
The disappointed of the ANC
In any case, the provisional results of the Electoral Commission are final for the ANC. With 40% of the votes nationally, the country’s leading party sees its policies sanctioned at the polls. Among voters, there is great disenchantment with the old liberation movement.
For many South Africans, the watchword of these elections was change. The ANC bore the brunt of this anger shared by Samson, a septuagenarian, with our correspondent in Johannesburg, Claire Bargelès. “ I want to change the government, because they do nothing for us. This ranges from the fact that many young people are unemployed to water leaks in the streets. They do nothing and are not good for us. »
The ANC has disappointed absolutely everyone and I’m not even talking just from an economic point of view. They pretend to be a revolutionary movement that helps the poorest, but that is not the case. What I hate the most, and what I have observed for 30 years, is how in each election, they fool the poorest, by reminding them of the suffering of the past, under apartheid. And a week later, they forgot about us.
Anele Hammond, a South African intellectual
Part of the population believes that the ANC has not kept its promises, namely economic development, access to basic services such as electricity and water, and the fight against poverty, corruption and unemployment.
The unemployment rate is officially 34%. Despite this, the generation that lived under apartheid considers the ANC to remain the movement that fought for their freedom. For her, it is therefore difficult to imagine voting for the opposition, even if they are disappointed. The story is different among young people, 45% of whom are unemployed. Those under 35/40 years old and the youngest who are called “ Born free » (Born Free) after apartheid – do not have this loyalty to the ANC. Their priority is employment. They are more likely to vote for the opposition or not vote at all.
Jermina, 50, does not see her living conditions improving either. She therefore also decided to vote for the opposition, also disappointed by the serial corruption cases affecting the president’s party. Cyril Ramaphosa. “ I think if we vote for the EFF [Combattants pour la liberté économique, gauche, NDLR], they can bring progress. The ANC, for me, is running just behind illicit public contracts. They destroy everything within our country, and never fulfill the promises they make to us, within the communities. »
The ANC nevertheless received the confidence of more than six million voters, but fell below 50% in territories until now largely won, such as Soweto, where voters, like Sam, blame it for the bad situation. economy of the country. “ So many people have lost their jobs, especially during the Covid pandemic. But nothing has really been done to create new job opportunities “, he laments.
Corruption is another factor in voters’ disenchantment with the ANC. Nelson Mandela complained about it. It has reached unprecedented proportions under the presidency of Jacob Zuma and the multitude of affairs in which he is involved.
“ The ANC ended up losing contact with the masses »
Since 2009, the ANC has lost voters in every national election. It did not collect 50% of the votes in the local elections of November 2021. A warning sign which led the party to lose its absolute majority in these general elections, which should force it to form a coalition to govern .
For Hlengiwe Ndhlovu, lecturer at the School of Governance at Wits University in South Africasuch a result can be explained by years of contempt from the party of Nelson Mandela towards his electoral base. “ I think the ANC has finally lost touch with the masses. The charisma of old executives has disappeared and a new generation of executives is showing arrogance », Estimates the academic to our correspondent in Johannesburg, Roman Song.
Alexandra Brangeon, journalist for RFI’s Africa service, notes the disconnection of ANC executives with the reality of many South Africans. And to cite party executives who left to campaign in disadvantaged neighborhoods in armored Mercedes which can cost several years of wages.
“ It should be noted that 80% of the population is black and mostly poor, adds Hlengiwe Ndhlovu. If you were a government whose policies benefited the poor, you could not end up with only 40% of the votes. » His observation is clear: “ We arrived at these elections with South Africans who said to themselves: “I don’t care if your party is two or six months old, like the MK which has neither program nor structure, has not proven itself and promises nothing. Anyone, but not the ANC” . »
► Listen again to our special edition dedicated to the general elections in South Africa presented by Julien Coquelle-Roëhmwith Claire Bargelès And Roman SongRFI correspondents in South Africa and Alexandra Brangeonjournalist for RFI’s Africa service.
Special Edition – South Africa General Elections