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South Africans went to the polls on May 8 in an election that analysts dubbed “the most pivotal since the country’s dawn of democracy.” This election provided the sternest test for the ruling Africa National Congress (ANC) party yet, with voter turnout being at it’s lowest since the country’s first democratic elections in 1994.
The ballot had 48 presidential candidates, which was the highest in the country’s history, but the incumbent, ANC’s Cyril Rampahosa, was declared winner with slightly more than 57% of the vote. This was however a significant drop from the 62% majority in 2014.
The in-coming president will have a full in-tray. Key issues in this campaign have been corruption, poor economic growth and high unemployment, especially amongst the youth.
This week on Talk Africa, we look at some of the factors that may have led to low voter confidence and what lies ahead for president-elect Cyril Ramaphosa, as he takes office for his first full term. Watch the full interview below, and share your thoughts in the comments section:
ANCHOR
Beatrice Marshall
GUESTS
Ambassador Boaz Mbaya – International Relations Expert and Kenya’s former Ambassador to France
Dr. Emmanuel Matambo – Post Doctoral Research Fellow, University of Kwa Zulu Natal
