South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) party won 159 out of 400 seats in the National Assembly (lower house of the parliament) in elections. This was announced by the South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission’s chairperson Mosotho Moepya (IEC), while presenting the final election results at a ceremony in the presence of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. This is reported by the official
website of the South African Government.

“Each party emerges from this election with a mandate based on the commitments they each made to the electorate. However, all the parties share an over-arching mandate, to work in partnership with each other and with society more broadly, to build a country that is inclusive, united and prosperous”

Cyril Ramaphosa South African President

Following the ANC are the Democratic Alliance (DA) party with 87 seats, uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) with 58 seats, and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party with 39 seats. The Inkatha Freedom Party won 19 mandates, the Patriotic Alliance won 9 mandates, the Freedom Front Plus and ActionSA won 6 mandates each. The remaining seats went to 10 other parties. 

Turnout was 58.6 per cent, with 16.2 million out of 27.7 million registered voters casting their ballots.

Seventy parties and a group of independent candidates contested the election.

Within the next 14 days, the National Assembly must elect a new President of the Republic from among its members. To do so, the candidate needs at least half plus one vote of the deputies. The ANC has nominated its leader Cyril Ramaphosa as its candidate for president for the next five years.

Photo:
Pretoria News