SOUTH Africa’s ruling ANC won 59% percent of the popular vote in last week’s municipal elections, with the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) taking an unexpectedly high 22%, according to the final tally. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said the Zulu-dominated Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) won 9.14% of the vote. The IEC said that the ANC had won 170 councils, the IFP 36, the DA 18 and the United Democratic Movement one. Voter turnout was 48.08% of the 18.4 million registered voters, similar to the 48% turnout in the last municipal elections in 1995 but far behind the 89% in last year’s national vote. The ANC also won four of the six metropolitan areas: Johannesburg; the East Rand; Tshwane, which includes Pretoria; and the Nelson Mandela metropolis around Port Elizabeth. The DA maintained control of Cape Town and in Durban the ANC won about 47% of the vote – not enough to be able to govern the city on its own. – AFP