{{The African National Congress (ANC) has won a commanding victory in South Africa’s general election, partial results show.<\/p>\n
With about 80% of the results in, the ANC has 63% of the vote, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) on 22%.}}<\/p>\n
According to critics; inequality, unemployment and corruption are big problems but the electorate has shown it has not lost faith in the ANC.<\/p>\n
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party is in third place with 5%.<\/p>\n
The electoral commission said voting passed off peacefully in most areas, with turnout at just over 72%.<\/p>\n
The elections are the first since the death in December of Nelson Mandela – the country’s first black president – and mark 20 years since the end of white-minority rule.<\/p>\n
Dissatisfaction with the government has been growing over high levels of unemployment, a lack of basic services and allegations of widespread corruption.<\/p>\n
Our correspondent says the ANC is likely to use its impressive mandate to try to drive through its National Development Plan – rejecting nationalisation, and emphasising investment and infrastructure.<\/p>\n
The business-friendly plan has alarmed South Africa’s powerful unions – some of which may soon break away to form their own party, he says.<\/p>\n
He adds that, on 5%, the EFF are no threat to the ANC but their aggressive populism will keep ministers on their toes, and South African politics more abrasive than ever.<\/p>\n
The DA has increased its share of the vote from 17% in the last election to 22%, according to the latest results.<\/p>\n
Early on Thursday, DA leader Helen Zille told reporters that she expected her party’s final vote to be around the 23% margin.<\/p>\n
“We’ll see how it goes. Of course, we hope it will be more. We did as much as we could,” she is quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
The DA has been trying to make inroads into the black electorate – its support is mainly concentrated in the Western Cape which has a large white and mixed-race population.<\/p>\n
Those born after the end of apartheid in 1994 were able to cast their ballots for the first time, although only a third of those entitled to do so had registered to vote.<\/p>\n
An ANC victory would return President Jacob Zuma for a second five-year term. He was dogged by allegations of corruption in the build-up to the election after an independent inquiry found he had “unduly benefited” from an expensive government-funded upgrade to his private residence.<\/p>\n
Speaking as he cast his vote on Wednesday, Mr. Zuma said he thought “the results will be very good”, but added that the campaign had been “very challenging”.<\/p>\n
In the last election in 2009, the ANC saw a slight drop in support, polling 66% of the vote.<\/p>\n
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