As expected, the third democratic election followed trends that had been forecast by analysts, pollsters and the media.
With the final results still to be announced, the African National Congress is expected to increase its majority with the Democratic Alliance coming second. The two provinces of KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape were hotly contested between the ANC/New National Party and DA/Inkatha Freedom Party alliances.
A comprehensive analysis of the election and its impact on South Africa’s democratisation process can only be made when the results are verified by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) — especially as the IFP and Pan Africanist Congress have said they may contest the results.
It is important to reflect on the conduct of the process itself.
On the downside, there were disturbing reports raised by parties such as the IFP and PAC of electoral fraud against the ruling ANC in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
In the former case, the counting was delayed for more than four hours after PAC objections. In the latter there were accusations against alleged ANC members for possessing official electoral material.
These were in addition to accusations by the ANC against the DA that the latter had placed its stickers in identity books of some prospective voters in the Western Cape.
The bomb hoax in Gauteng also raised concern, and so did the various minor incidents around the country, for example an election official being expelled in the Eastern Cape for having political ties and the arrest of DA members for having canvassed at a polling station in the Western Cape.
However, overall these were minor incidents and the election went well, indicating South Africa’s maturing democracy. It is crucial to note that elections since 1994 have never been under any serious threat of being derailed expect for isolated incidents in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. In most parts of the country the process has always been orderly.
The positive nature of the process was underlined by the emphatic vote of confidence placed in South Africa by the European Union, Commonwealth and United Nations when they declined to send observers on the basis that they had no fears regarding the smooth running of the election.
What was also heartening about the process was — despite acrimonious and sometimes heated campaigning between political parties — that the majority of political leaders had a positive view of the elections.
In addition, the process was given a vote of confidence by three South African personalities: FW de Klerk, Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
The IEC must also be commended for doing a good job, given that this was the biggest election held to date in this country, with more than 20-million registered voters. What was striking about the IEC’s efficiency was that 98% of polling stations opened on time on election day.
The security forces — especially those deployed in the volatile KwaZulu-Natal province — must also be specifically singled out for the calming role that they played in the process.
Usually, their roles, especially that of intelligence agencies, are never recognised by the general public in terms of the importance they play in the security of the country, unless of course there is trouble and they have to intervene.
But it is quite obvious that a lot of work is done in the background to prepare for such an event.
Of course there were disturbing scenes with regard to political leaders’ conduct, when a tiff was reported between an IFP representative and the chairperson of the ANC and Minister of Defence Mosiuoa Lekota.
But suffice to mention that this was a minor issue that was precipitated largely by a lack of communication than any deep-felt animosity.
Lastly, South African voters themselves must be commended for coming out in large numbers to vote, indicating their faith in the electoral process in particular and in general the democratisation process.
Indications are that contrary to the often-overstated views of voter apathy, the turnout in the election was well more than 70% and this is a very impressive figure by any standard.
What the third democratic election has emphatically indicated is that the country is well on its way to being a mature democracy. The fact that, when we compare the electoral process from 1994 up to now, things are generally getting better, says volumes about the country, voters, political parties, politicians, civil society and many other sectors of society.
Even the very fact that some voters chose not to vote — others spoiling their ballots deliberately — can be said to be a positive thing.
It is not always a given that people stay away from the polls just because they are dissatisfied. Sometimes they stay away because they are satisfied with the political process.
The problem arises when the majority of citizens stay away, a situation that has is unlikely to happen given what transpired this week.
Dr Thabisi Hoeane is a lecturer in the Department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes University Grahamstown. He contributes regularly to national print media. His PhD was on South African Electoral Studies and Democratisation.