The ruling African National Congress steamed towards victory in South Africa's third post-apartheid election today, with early results showing it on track to bolster its power with a two-thirds majority.
ANC spokesman Mr Smuts Ngonyama
With 37 per cent of the national vote counted, the former liberation movement had 66.88 per cent. Many regions of traditional ANC support were still to report.
Political analysts said the ANC was probably set for a two-thirds majority in parliament, which would allow it to amend the constitution at will.
"We are excited about the results so far," ANC spokesman Mr Smuts Ngonyama said. "The hurricane is beginning to blow. It's blowing in our favour."
But the ANC was battling for two key provinces and faced a rising challenge from the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), which ran a campaign highlighting South Africa's huge problems with AIDS, crime, unemployment and poverty.
The DA, a largely white party that has sought to cement its position as the official opposition, almost doubled its support from the 1999 elections with a total of 16.54 per cent of the national vote, according to early results.
The main national loser appeared to be the New National Party, heir to the grouping that built apartheid, which was at just 2.29 per cent against almost 7 per cent in 1999.
The ANC, which under Nelson Mandela swept away apartheid in 1994, appeared strong across the country with results putting it ahead in all nine provinces - albeit in some cases by small margins.
Early national turnout estimates were about 74 per cent. This was below the huge 89 per cent in the last poll in 1999 but showed a continuing enthusiasm for multiracial democracy.
Yesterday's vote appeared smooth despite scattered accusations of intimidation and fraud in traditional hotspots and tension in the battleground province of KwaZulu-Natal.