Former president Jacob Zuma has said that he did not anticipate any upsets in the 2019 general elections whose polling day was held on Wednesday, with his ruling African National Congress expected to win the majority votes.
Zuma told journalists on Wednesday that South Africans should expect this year’s results to be dominated by the current three big parties: the ANC of Cyril Ramaphosa, Democratic Alliance of Mmusi Maimane and Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters.
“I am confident that things will happen as expected. Big parties will be in the front, and smaller ones will follow. It’s a question of what is the distance between the big and small parties,” Zuma, who was removed from office in February 2017 on corruption allegations, said.
Like his fellow leaders elsewhere at the polluting stations, the former president was in a joyful mood, despite admitting to suffering from a bout of flu just after he cast his vote at Ntolwane Primary School in his home village of kwaNxamalala on Wednesday.
Zuma congratulated South Africans on holding a peaceful election. “Even during the campaigns, there were no major incidences reported.
“People are beginning to understand what democracy is. It’s not war but a competition of which party leads,” he said.
He said in the months leading up to voting day, many described this day as one of the most important days in the history of South Africa. He lauded the “mature democracy”.
NM/as/APA