The African National Congress won a second term today in a landslide victory that will probably give South Africa's next President, Thabo Mbeki, control of more than two-thirds of Parliament. The party won even more votes than it did five years ago, when it first swept to power in South Africa's historic apartheid-ending election with just under 63 percent of the ballot. Late evening returns suggested the A.N.C. may have won more than 65 percent this time, and analysts with the state-owned television were predicting the final share would be 67 percent.
Mr. Mbeki, the party's only candidate to replace President Nelson Mandela when he retires on June 16, claimed victory early in the afternoon, promising to build a multiracial society and to speed the pace of change. ''In their millions, and without equivocation, without hesitation, the people of South Africa have renewed the mandate of the A.N.C. to run this country,'' a serious Mr. Mbeki told hundreds of supporters who danced and ululated in front of him at the party's headquarters here. He promised to govern with humility and ''a deep sense of responsibility'' and to insure that ''we act together to build a South Africa which truly belongs to all who live in it, both black and white.''
Throughout the campaign the 80-year-old Mr. Mandela has taken a back seat to the reserved Mr. Mbeki. Though Mr. Mbeki has none of Mr. Mandela's ease with people, he has surprised many analysts by throwing himself into the handshaking and baby-kissing, sometimes even shedding the suits he favors for sports shirts. Mr. Mandela went on vacation after casting his vote on Wednesday and was not present when Mr. Mbeki made his speech today. In fact, the victory rally seemed to confirm a new era, with the focus completely on Mr. Mbeki. Supporters chanted his name, and posters with his picture filled the backdrop.
Mr. Mbeki referred to his predecessor, who served 27 years in prison for believing that all South Africans should have equal rights, only at the end of his speech as he thanked him and other A.N.C. officials for their election effort. Despite the end of South Africa's apartheid system in 1994, the country remains deeply divided along racial lines, with most of the country's wealth still in white hands. The elections only highlighted the divisions, as most of the country's blacks -- about 77 percent of the population -- supported the A.N.C. while most of the country's white, mixed-race and Indian citizens supported white-led parties. The African National Congress had set a two-thirds share of Parliament as its goal, but that deepened fears in the minority communities. With such a majority the party would have the power to change some aspects of the Constitution, though in recent weeks Mr. Mbeki has said repeatedly that he had no intention of doing so.
Mr. Mbeki, 56, has been a powerful behind-the-scenes force here. A British-educated economist, he is considered an able administrator and one of the architects of the country's conservative economic policies. Mr. Mandela has said for years now that Mr. Mbeki has been effectively running the country on a day to day basis in his role as Deputy President. Many supporters of the A.N.C. believe that he will be better able to govern with more rigor than Mr. Mandela, who is sometimes seen here as too soft. But his critics worry that he is too sensitive to criticism, and they point out that his political rivals have found themselves quickly sidelined.
The country that Mr. Mbeki will inherit has already changed a great deal since apartheid ended. In those five years, it has adopted one of the world's most liberal Constitutions and passed more than 500 laws revamping the legal system, which had classified everyone by race and prevented nonwhites from voting. Much has been done to improve living conditions as well. More than 500,000 houses have been built and millions of South African now have electricity, telephones and running water, which they did not have before. But the country is beset by crime and an unemployment rate that approaches 40 percent. Many of those who have new houses, water and electricity are unable to pay for their services. The education system is in shambles and the country has one of the fastest growing AIDS rates in the world. Corruption and incompetence, particularly in provincial governments, are major issues.
Polls indicated that support for the A.N.C. had dipped in late 1998 by about 10 percentage points. But election results suggest that the party was able to recapture disillusioned supporters by evoking its history as a liberation movement and casting the next five years as a continuation of that struggle. ''We lived with apartheid for 40 years,'' said Themba Ndlovu, 27, who lives in Soweto and sometimes gets work on construction sites. ''The A.N.C. needs more than five to make things right.''
Mr. Mbeki also stayed far above daily political squabbles, managing to look presidential wherever he went. He rarely asked for votes, choosing instead to highlight the party's accomplishments by visiting successful projects. Some analysts had predicted widespread voter apathy, but South Africans began lining up to vote on Wednesday even before the sun was up, and some voting stations were still open this morning to accommodate voters who had been on line since 9 P.M. the night before. The election commission was still counting votes late into the evening, slowed by some computer problems. But even before the final results were available, some trends seemed discernable.
The New National Party, whose predecessor ruled during the four decades of apartheid, was in danger of losing its status as the largest opposition party, with only about 8 percent of the votes. Unfamiliar with the role of an opposition party, it has been largely ineffective in Parliament and many of its voters have turned to the once tiny liberal Democratic Party.
The Democratic Party won less than 2 percent of the vote last time and had only 7 members in Parliament, but they were vocal and effective critics of the A.N.C. and, judging by this evening's returns, seemed to be winning a 10 percent share this time. ''Minorities have been saying, 'Who is going to protect their interests?' '' said Shaun Mackay, a researcher with the Institute for Race Relations. ''And the Democratic Party has come out on top as the one that can lead in this area.'' But the battle between the two parties has been bitter, with the leader of the New National Party, Martinus van Schalkwyk, accusing the Democratic Party of exploiting racial fears with its ''Fight Back'' campaign slogan. Today, Mr. Van Schalkwyk said he was disappointed in his showing, adding that he had ''paid the price'' for talking about cooperation rather than opposition. Tony Leon, the head of the Democrats, did not hesitate to claim victory. ''I don't think any party has suffered as official meltdown'' like the New National Party, he said. ''They were pretty hopeless as a Government and they got their just deserts.''
The Zulu-nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party, a long-time rival of the African National Congress, seemed to be doing about as well as in 1994, with 8 percent. This was something of a surprise, because pollsters had predicted the party's support would shrink by half. Apparently the pollsters overlooked the strength of Inkatha's support among rural voters.
The next President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, celebrated yesterday.
Source: New York Times
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