Early Results Announced in South Africa's Closely Fought Elections

PRETORIA, South Africa — Early results have been announced from what is seen as South Africa's most closely contested elections since the African National Congress (ANC) came to power 30 years ago. With results from just over 11% of voting districts counted, the ANC is leading with 43%, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 26%. The radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) of former President Jacob Zuma are each around 8%.

Final results are expected over the weekend particulary, Sunday. Opinion polls suggest the ANC could lose its majority in Parliament for the first time in 30 years, potentially forcing it into a coalition. The ANC has seen a decline in support due to public anger over high levels of corruption, crime, and unemployment.

Thursday's election saw long lines of voters outside polling stations late into the night across the country. One electoral official in Johannesburg told the BBC the queues were reminiscent of the historic 1994 election when Black people could vote for the first time, resulting in Nelson Mandela becoming president. Despite polls closing at 2100 local time (1900 GMT), the electoral commission ensured that everyone still in line was allowed to cast their ballots.

"Freedom is great, but we need to tackle corruption," said Sifiso Buthelezi, who voted at Johannesburg's Joubert Park, the largest polling station in South Africa.

Change has been a recurring sentiment, particularly among young voters. Ayanda Hlekwane, one of South Africa's "born-free" generation, meaning he was born after 1994, expressed frustration over job prospects despite holding three degrees. "I'm working on my PhD proposal so that I go back to study in case I don't get a job," he told the BBC in Durban.

A record 70 parties and 11 independents ran in this election, with South Africans voting for a new Parliament and nine provincial legislatures. Analysts suggest this reflects widespread disillusionment with the ANC. "We are entering the next phase of our democracy, and it is going to be a big transition," political analyst Richard Calland told the BBC. "We will either become a more competitive and mature democracy, or our politics will become more fractured."

The main opposition party, the DA, has signed a pact with 10 other parties to form a coalition government if they receive enough votes to unseat the ANC. However, the ANC is expected to remain the largest party, putting it in a strong position to lead a coalition if its support drops below 50%. In the last election, the ANC secured 57.5% of the vote, compared to the DA's 21%.

South Africans do not directly vote for a president. Instead, they vote for members of Parliament, who then elect the president. Therefore, current President Cyril Ramaphosa is likely to remain in power.

Former President Jacob Zuma caused a major stir when he announced in December that he was leaving the ANC to campaign for the new uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), which translates to Spear of the Nation. Although barred from running for Parliament due to a conviction for contempt of court, his name still appeared on the ballot paper as MK leader. The MK is expected to perform well in Zuma's home province of KwaZulu-Natal, where tensions have been high and some incidents of violence reported during the campaign.

Police and the army were deployed to polling stations nationwide to ensure peaceful voting and prevent the theft of ballot papers. More than 27 million people were registered to vote, including a high percentage of young voters who could prove decisive.

Njabulo Hlophe, a 28-year-old artist, emphasized the importance of youth participation: "This is as much our country as our parents'... they're leaving it to us, so someone that really cares about the young people is someone I'm really looking at."

Support for the ANC is expected to be higher among the older generation. An 89-year-old woman, Elayne Dykman, told the BBC in Durban she hoped that young people in South Africa did not take their vote for granted.

As the counting continues, South Africans eagerly await the final results, which could signal a significant shift in the nation's political landscape.