SOUTH AFRICA: South African voters queue to cast ballot in Zuma's home village

Record ID: 452715

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: South African voters queue to cast ballot in Zuma's home village
  • Date: 23rd April 2009
  • Summary: NTOLWANE, INKANDLA, KWA-ZULU NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA (APRIL 22, 2009) (REUTERS) WIDE OF NTOLWANE VILLAGE VOTERS SITTING OUTSIDE NTOLWANE POLLING STATION ELDERLY WOMAN OUTSIDE POLLING STATION VOTER CASTING BALLOT VARIOUS OF ELDERLY WOMAN CASTING BALLOT POLLING STATION INTERIOR
  • Embargoed: 8th May 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA7N9AA135QNZV2C3GYG8TEMSWY
  • Story Text: South African voters in ANC leader Jacob Zuma's home in KwaZulu Natal queue outside polling stations as the party are almost certain of retaining power despite opposition surge.
    Rural South Africans endured rains and an early morning chill to cast their votes in the national election on Wednesday (April 22) as the ruling African National Congress (ANC) facing its toughest test since it defeated apartheid 15 years ago.
    The ANC is virtually ensured of its fourth straight win since defeating white minority rule in 1994, and is expected to make its leader Jacob Zuma president of Africa's biggest economy after the ballot of 23 million people.
    But it faces an unprecedented challenge from opposition parties hoping to capitalise on voter frustration over corruption, poverty and rampant crime, and could lose the two-thirds majority that gives it the right to shape laws.
    In ANC president Jacob Zuma's birthplace of Ntolwane voters queued outside the polling station where the leader is expected to cast his vote later in the day.
    Many analysts believe the ANC, whose anti-apartheid credentials make it the default choice for millions of black voters, will win between 60 and 66 percent of the vote, a result that would cheer investors keen to see the ANC's grip on power loosened.
    Zuma, who had corruption charges against him dropped on a technicality this month, has assured markets there will be no big policy swings but has played up the party's pro-poor roots and pledged to tackle poverty and create jobs.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register