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In just a matter of hours, millions of South Africans who participated in this year’s general elections will know the results which could mean a lot more than just change of leadership.

Early results have given ruling party African National Congress (ANC) a huge lead in the elections, with controversial party leader Jacob Zuma edging ever closer to lead the Rainbow nation.

With a third of the total votes counted, about 38% of 19734 voting districts, ANC had 65% to 17% garnered by its nearest rival, the Democratic Alliance (DA). ANC breakaway faction, Congress of the People (Cope) is finding the going tough, having garnered a mere 8% of total vote counts.
With 24 million registered voters in the fourth election since apartheid, the voter turnout is reported to have been as high as 80% with the voter turnout for the completed districts standing at 77%.
The Democratic Alliance pulled ahead of ANC in the Western Cape Province, South Africa’s most preferred tourist destination which ANC won by over 45 percent in 2004.
The ruling party is hoping to win with a two-thirds parliamentary majority that will let it change the constitution and embed its leadership.
The 63-year-old Zuma will certainly become the president of Africa’s most powerful nation only three weeks after being cleared of corruption charges by the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa.
His first major task will be to deal with the global economic downturn that is devouring world economies and oversea infrastructure upgrade for the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup gala.
 

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