South Africa's ruling ANC today celebrated a dominating lead in an election that will install Jacob Zuma as president.
The African National Congress held 66.50 per cent of the vote according to latest results, close to keeping the two-thirds majority it would need to change the constitution and further strengthen its hold.
Thousands of ruling party supporters danced into the night to celebrate the ANC's success in the face of the toughest opposition challenge since the end of apartheid in 1994.
Despite the failure of a party of ANC dissidents to make a dramatic impact, the ANC appeared to be just short of the nearly 70 per cent of the vote it won in 2004 and to have lost control of the Western Cape province, centre of the tourist industry.
Mr Zuma, due to be sworn in early next month, will be under pressure to deliver from day one.
"Zuma tapped into a dramatic change in the mood of South Africa's poor black majority. Forgotten by the elite, they have run out of patience and are now demanding the economic dividends of democratic rule," political commentator William Gumede said.
"He is unlikely to have the honeymoon period enjoyed by past ANC governments. If he fails to deliver, the poor will also turn against him".
The ANC has given repeated assurances it has no plan to change the constitution even with a two-thirds majority.
"All we need is enough power to implement our programmes without being disturbed in implementing our manifesto," said ANC spokeswoman Lindiwe Zulu. "We've exceeded our expectations."
A reinvigorated opposition had hoped to at least curb the majority to below two-thirds, but for many voters the ANC's credentials from the fight against white minority rule still outweigh its failure to tackle crime, poverty and AIDS.
The Congress of the People (Cope), formed by politicians who broke from the ruling party, had won only 7.50 per cent with 88 per cent of votes counted.
The ANC's closest rival was the Democratic Alliance (DA) - led by a white woman - with 16.02 per cent. The DA pulled ahead of the ANC in the Western Cape province, which is currently controlled by the ANC.
"We've got to realign politics in South Africa and that's what I'm going to spend the next five years doing," DA leader Helen Zille said.
The 67-year-old Mr Zuma will become president only three weeks after managing to get prosecutors to drop an eight-year-old corruption case on a technicality. His supporters dismiss the accusations against him as politically motivated.
Some foreign investors fear trade union allies will push him to the left. The continent's biggest economy may already be in recession for the first time in 17 years.
"In order to deal with the impact of the recession they will have to be a more effective government than the ANC has been in the past," said Steven Friedman, Director at the Centre for the Study of Democracy.
Mr Zuma has repeatedly said there will be no nasty surprises in store for investors and his room for policy manoeuvre is limited because of the global downturn. Finance minister Trevor Manuel, a market favourite, is expected to stay for now.
Election officials estimated the turnout at 76 per cent, the same as in 2004. Observers from the 15-nation Southern African Development Community and African Union said today the election was free and fair.