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As the South African 2019 elections come to a close with the final result expected to be announced later on Saturday, News24 Assistant Editor for in-depth news, Pieter Du Toit, says the country has not seen a fundamental shift in the political landscape.
With the three biggest parties still largely in the same running order and the country facing the same issues of corruption and state capture, these elections haven not made a substantial impact on the country.
"I think this is quite disappointing from the public’s point of view as people expected some form of punishment for the African National Congress (ANC) given the mismanagement and corruption of the last ten years," said Du Toit.
"[The ANC] are now under 60% but have they been punished? I’m not certain that they have."
At the cusp of a difficult five years, according to Du Toit, he predicts a decline in the fortunes of some parties, "personalities come and go, our politics largely centres around personalities, we are again going to be drawn into the ANC’s internal battles – as of yesterday we are already there [with] some tension between senior figures – we are in for a grind in the next five years."
Social media, the youth and the EFF
Reflecting on this election season, the Economic Freedom Fighters are having a moment. They have increased their votes from 1.1 million to 1.8 million by appealing to the youth who came out in numbers to show their support.
"If these elections were held on social media the EFF would have won," said Du Toit.
"The party is going to Parliament with almost 40 members, they are half the size of the Democratic Alliance (DA) but are yapping at their heals," he adds.
Du Toit said the party’s message has resonated with the electorate. "[Julius] Malema’s message about Africanism, Africa, black people, land and jobs have attracted youngsters."
Going forward, South Africa will have a new crop of MP’s and from this the President will be chosen. Sure to be Cyril Ramaphosa, the swearing in of new MP’s and election of the president will happen in Cape Town, and the inauguration ceremony in Pretoria.
News24 will keep you updated throughout all these developments.
Find everything you need to know about the 2019 National and Provincial Government Elections at our News24 Elections site, including the latest news and detailed, interactive maps for how South Africa has voted over the past 3 elections. Make sure your News24 app is updated to access all our elections coverage in one place.
