Many deserted the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), some changed their votes from the African National Congress (ANC) to the Congress of the People (Cope), and others just kept on voting for South Africa’s liberation movement, the ANC.
A close look at available election results show interesting shifts in South Africa’s voting patterns, but also a clear indication that the majority of voters do not yet believe the ruling party should be dumped.
The Mail & Guardian Online randomly chose nine voting stations, one in each of the country’s nine provinces, and compared Thursday’s results with the 2004 outcome at these stations.
- KwaZulu-Natal: At the Habeni Combined Primary School in Eshowe the IFP came out on tops with 475 votes against the ANC’s 452. However, in 2004 the IFP achieved 83,5% (955 votes) of the vote and the ANC a mere 11,8% (135 votes).
- Mpumalanga: Voters at the Zikhuphule School in Middelburg voted the ANC in with a 93,8% (1Â 184 votes) majority against the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) 3,7% (47 votes). In 2004 this was also a super station for the ruling party when they achieved 96% of the vote, but the DA since improved from a dismal 11 votes (0,9%) five years ago.
- Western Cape: In 2004 724 voters turned up at the Groote Schuur Primary School to vote for the DA. The Independent Democrats (ID) came second with 152 endorsements. However, on Wednesday the DA received 1Â 166 votes from Capetonians at this poling station. Cope came in second with 127 votes.
- Northern Cape: Voters at the Boresetse Secondary School in Barkley West entrusted the ANC with 1Â 958 votes (93%) in 2004 and placed Azapo second with 58 votes (2,7%). On Wednesday the ANC shed 371 votes from 2004 and ended up with 82% of the vote at this station. Cope is the new runner-up with 266 votes (13,7%).
- Eastern Cape: The ANC beat Cope hands-down at the Vuzumzi Landu Hall in Humansdorp with 1Â 628 votes (82%) against 196 (10%). In 2004 the ruling party garnered 2Â 048 votes at this station and the now deceased New National Party 95.
- Limpopo: The Muduluni Community Hall in Louis Trichardt brought in 1Â 072 votes (90%) for the ANC this time around against the party’s 2004 result of 913 votes. In 2004 the DA received 31 votes, but this time Cope came second with 75 endorsements.
- Gauteng: At the Khatlamping Primary School in Ekurhuleni, the ANC managed to score a massive triumph over Cope with 3Â 057 votes (91%) against the new kid on the block’s 192 (5,7%). The ruling party, however, lost 21 supporters in five years at this station.
- North West: At the Boitshoko School in Mafikeng the ANC’s support remained steady (405 votes against 2004’s 495), but the runner-up changed from Lucas Mangope’s United Christian Democratic Party (133 in 2004) to Cope (119 votes).
- Free State: In 2004 1Â 509 residents (94%) of Hoopstad voted for the ANC at the Solomon Mahlangu Community Hall, with 36 voters choosing the Pan Africanist Congress. On Wednesday the ANC’s support dropped to 1Â 221 (75%) and Cope gained a handy 364 votes (22%).