ANC wins South Africa’s election, but with a reduced majority

May 11, 2019
| Report Focus News

All the votes have been counted and the preliminary results show that the African National Congress (ANC) has been handed another five-year term in power,  but with a reduced majority.

The party won 57.51% of the vote, which was more than double their nearest rivals, the Democratic Alliance (DA) who garnered 20.76% of the vote.

The ANC’s victory though came at a price, as the party saw a drop in support from the 2014 elections where it won with 62.15%, the third consecutive elections that the party has seen a decline in support.

The DA also saw a decline in support in 2019, reversing the steady growth that it had seen since 2004.

The country’s third largest party was the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 10.79%, a jump from the 6.35% it received in the 2014 elections.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) were the fourth and fifth biggest parties with 3.38% and 2.38% respectively. While the IFP also saw a drop in support, the FF Plus saw big gains in this elections.