Zuma’s ANC sweeps to victory in South Africa’s fifth post-apartheid election

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) swept toward victory in South Africa's fifth post-apartheid election on Thursday, handing President Jacob Zuma the clout to push through pro-business reforms in the face of union and leftist opposition.

Burdened with sluggish economic growth and damaging strikes in his first term, the scandal-plagued Mr Zuma has devoted less and less time over the last year to the wishes of unions, whose long walkouts have hit confidence in Africa’s most developed economy.

He has also batted away opposition from the far left, quashing some expectations the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – led by his former protege Julius Malema – would ride a wave of populist anger over widespread poverty and unemployment.

The ANC, the liberation movement that swept to power two decades ago under the leadership of Nelson Mandela, had won 63 percent of Wednesday’s vote with 85 per cent of districts counted, the Independent Electoral Commission said.

“With this, he is much less beholden to the left,” Cape Town-based political analyst Nic Borain said, adding that he expected Mr Zuma to appoint a technocrat cabinet with the express mandate to roll out policies to boost growth.

“There’s no deeply insightful change, but the bottom line is that by 2019 they are going to have to be growing this economy and making sure they can still raise tax revenue.”

Mr Zuma hinted this week that the ANC needed to take a more pro-business tack, accusing the main platinum union of irresponsibility for dragging out a four-month wage strike, and he hinted at reforms in the pipeline. “We need an overwhelming majority so that we can change certain things so that we can move faster,” Mr Zuma said.

Mr Zuma embraced and shared jokes with colleagues when he visited the electoral commission yesterday evening and, although his broad grin betrayed his satisfaction, he held off from making a speech until the result was announced officially.

One influential minister said the ANC would now focus on policies adopted at a 2012 leadership conference, when it rejected “wholesale nationalisation” of industries and sought to quell investor concerns with business-friendly pronouncements.

The ANC’s nearest rival, the Democratic Alliance, was on 21.9 per cent, upholding poll predictions the party would improve on the 16.7 per cent it won five years ago as it gradually sheds its image as the political home of privileged minority whites.

The militant EFF, launched by Mr Malema after he was expelled from the ANC in 2012, was in third place with 5.4 per cent.

Turnout was high across 22,000 polling stations nationwide, officials said, and voting passed off smoothly although the ANC said one of its members was shot dead outside a polling station in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma’s home province. – (Reuters)