Voters continue to queue to cast their ballots as night falls in Johannesburg, South Africa
PRETORIA, May 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Polls have shut in South Africa’s elections, widely seen as a test for the ruling ANC.
The party is forecast to have a reduced majority following anger over the economy and land reform.
Casting his vote in the country’s sixth democratic national election since apartheid ended 25 years ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa apologised.
He said South Africa would “never again” see the “rampant corruption” of recent years.
“We have made mistakes but we have been sorry about those mistakes and we are saying our people should reinvest their confidence in us,” Ramaphosa said.
“Corruption got into the way, patronage got into the way and not focusing on the needs of our people got in the way,” he added.
The African National Congress (ANC), which led the fight against apartheid, has governed the country since 1994. The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are its main challengers.
Opinion polls suggest that the ANC will get just over 50% of the vote with the DA forecast to get about 20%.
If the poll proves to be true then this would mean a fall in the ANC’s vote share. It won 62% of the vote in 2014.
President Cyril Ramaphosa came to power last year pledging to get to grips with the issue but some voters still associate the party with the corruption which thrived under his predecessor, Jacob Zuma.
Zuma faces trial on numerous charges of corruption but has denied any wrongdoing. — NNN-AGENCIES