President Cyril Ramaphosa is confident that his African National Congress (ANC) will cruise to victory with a health margin in South Africa’s national and provincial elections held on Wednesday.
Addressing journalists after casting his vote at a school in Soweto, Ramaphosa said his party had acquitted itself well during the just-ended campaign period by explaining its policies to the electorate.
“The ANC under my leadership ran a formidable campaign. We went through the length and breadth of the country to reach out to our people and to also make those who may well have been doubtful about voting to be encouraged to vote,” Ramaphosa said.
He added: “The people of South Africa will give the ANC as they vote today a firm majority. So, in my mind, in my head, in my thought processes there isn’t even a doubt about that.”
South Africans voted Wednesday to elect representatives for the National Assembly and provincial legislatures.
The ANC is favouring the stiff challenge of the main opposition Democratic Alliance as well as the militant Economic Freedom Fighters and the recently formed uMkhonto we Sizwe.
A record 27.8 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots at 23,292 polling stations that have been established by the Independent Electoral Commission across South Africa.
Voting was expected to close at 9pm (1900 GMT) on Wednesday, after which vote counting would commence.
Opinion polls have, however, predicted that the ANC see its parliamentary majority drop below 50 percent for the first time since South Africa’s independence in 1994.
Opposition parties blame the ANC for the myriad challenges currently faced by South Africa. These include unbridled corruption, high unemployment, record crime rate, rising cost of living and poor service delivery.
JN/APA