While the final decimal points of South Africa's second democratic election were still awaited yesterday, the broad outline of the outcome was clearly delineated: a decisive victory for the African National Congress, though tantalising short of the predicted two-thirds majority which would have enabled the party to change the constitution.
With 10,000 votes still to count, the Democratic Party is likely to beat the Inkatha Freedom Party to second place. The ANC's old adversary, the National Party, now renamed the New National Party, has undoubtedly suffered a crushing defeat.
In these circumstances the main focus of attention was on the incoming administration under President-elect Thabo Mbeki of the ANC and, in particular, on the increasingly close relationship between the ANC and its one time foe, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi's Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).
The South African Sunday Times and Sunday Independent yesterday carried front page reports predicting that Chief Buthelezi would be offered the post of Deputy President in a deal between the ANC and the IFP, an astonishing prospect given the long and bitter rivalry between the two parties.
The last 18 months have, however, witnessed a growing rapprochement between the two parties, with IFP notable Mr Lionel Mtshali attending the ANC's 50th national conference in December 1997 as an official guest and Mr Mbeki last year attending an IFP-organised ceremony to mark the anniversary of the Battle of Blood River of 1838 between the Boers and the Zulus.
Mr Mtshali's attendance at the ANC's 50th national conference was noteworthy because it saw the election of Mr Mbeki as Mr Nelson Mandela's successor as ANC president. Mr Mbeki's presence at the Blood River commemoration was significant because he, a Xhosa, was there as a special guest of the Zulu king and Chief Buth elezi, a prince of the Zulu royal family.
The IFP was a partner with the ANC in the national government of unity under the old constitution. But that partnership was purely a product of a clause in the constitution according to which any party which won 20 or more seats in the 400-member National Assembly the right to participation in the government in proportion to the strength of its parliamentary representation.
The new constitution has no equivalent clause prescribing power-sharing. But, in another sign of their improved relations, the ANC and the IFP have indicated they plan to continue the partnership or coalition on a voluntary basis.
The extent to which there has been a turn-about in relations is symbolised by two events: In 1992, in a speech to the UN, Mr Mandela said of the IFP and the former white government: "The IFP has permitted itself to become an extension of the Pretoria regime, its instrument and surrogate.
Its activities have been financed by the South African government. Its members have been armed and trained by the South African government."
Four years later, however, Mr Mandela's attitude and, with it, that of the ANC, began to change. Chief Buthelezi was no longer s een as the puppet of sinister forces but the leader of a black nationalist party worthy of the ANC's trust, so much so that Mr Mandela nominated him to serve as acting president on several occasions. It was Chief Buthelezi who gave the order for South African troops to invade Lesotho last year.
Mr Mbeki, whose personal relationship with Chief Buthelezi is manifestly good, has contributed to the rapprochement between the two parties. So much so that there have been numerous reports over the past six to nine months that he plans to offer Chief Buthelezi the post of Deputy President in the coalition government which is in the offing. While these reports have never been confirmed officially, they have not been repudiated either.
Political observers postulate that the ANC is applying the Zimbabwean model where Mr Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu party solved the problem posed by the challenge of Mr Joshua Nkomo's rival Zapu by unifying the two parties and making Mr Nkomo a deputy president.
In South Africa the ruling ANC adopts one of two approaches to black-led parties seeking to win support in the majority black community: either to destroy them politically, or to ingest them.