South Africa's ruling ANC headed for an overwhelming election victory on Thursday despite a reinvigorated opposition challenge and leader Jacob Zuma was on course to become president weeks after beating graft charges. With about half the votes counted, the African National Congress had 66.67 percent of ballots, suggesting it could well recapture the two-thirds majority that gives it the power to shape laws and further entrench its dominance.
The results battered the hopes of the Congress of the People (COPE) party, formed by ANC dissidents, that it might pose the first real challenge since the end of apartheid in 1994. Zuma portrays himself as a champion of the poor, and for many voters the ANC's credentials from the fight against white minority rule still outweigh frustrations with its failure to tackle widespread crime, poverty and AIDS.
"We have been talking about a decisive victory, which we think is in sight," said ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe. COPE won 7.86 percent with about half the vote counted. The biggest challenge came from the Democratic Alliance - led by a white woman - with 16.25 percent. The DA pulled ahead of the ANC in the Western Cape province - South Africa's premier tourist destination, which is currently controlled by the ANC.
The ANC won 45.25 percent of the Western Cape vote in the 2004 elections. Opposition parties had hoped to at least deprive the ANC of the two-thirds parliamentary majority.
The final result is not expected before Friday but there is little doubt the 67-year-old Zuma will become president only three weeks after managing to get prosecutors to drop an eight-year-old corruption case that had tainted his reputation. Decked out in yellow and green ANC colours, hundreds of supporters gathered in central Johannesburg for celebrations, with Zuma expected to speak from 6.30 pm (1630 GMT).
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