S.Africa's ANC claims victory, short of two-thirds
* Ruling ANC claims victory in election
* ANC has 66.1 percent of vote, just short of two-thirds
* Poverty and economy will put Zuma under pressure
(Updates with latest results)
By Gordon Bell
JOHANNESBURG, April 24 (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling ANC claimed victory on Friday in a general election that will make party leader Jacob Zuma president, but was set to fall just short of a symbolically important two-thirds of the vote.
With over 95 percent of ballots counted, the African National Congress had under 66.1 percent. It needs 66.7 percent to be able to change the constitution on its own and further entrench its hold, a scenario of some concern to markets.
"The ANC has been given a clear and resounding mandate," senior party official Matthews Phosa told thousands of cheering supporters at a victory party in Johannesburg, appealing for unity among all South Africans.
Despite the failure of a party of ANC dissidents to make a dramatic impact, the ANC had less than the nearly 70 percent of the vote it won in 2004, and appeared to have lost control of the Western Cape province, centre of the tourist industry.
The rand currency firmed more than 2 percent against the dollar to a new 6-1/2-month high, aided by a strong euro and higher stocks.
A reinvigorated opposition had hoped to at least curb the majority to below two-thirds, but for many voters the ANC's credentials from the fight against white minority rule still outweigh its failure to reduce crime, poverty and AIDS.
The ANC has said it has no intention of changing the constitution even if it keeps its two-thirds majority, but falling below that would be symbolically important.
ANC DEFECTORS STRUGGLE
The Congress of the People (COPE), formed by politicians who broke from the ruling party, stood below 7.5 percent.
The ANC's closest rival was the Democratic Alliance (DA) with almost 16.4 percent. The DA, whose leader Helen Zille is white, pulled ahead of the ANC in the Western Cape, which is currently controlled by the ANC.
The 67-year-old Zuma will become president only three weeks after managing to get prosecutors to drop an eight-year-old corruption case on a technicality. His supporters dismiss the accusations against him as politically motivated.
The continent's biggest economy may already be in recession for the first time in 17 years, and some foreign investors fear that trade union allies will push Zuma to the left.
"In order to deal with the impact of the recession they will have to be a more effective government than the ANC has been in the past," said Steven Friedman, Director at the Centre for the Study of Democracy.
Zuma has repeatedly said there will be no nasty surprises for investors, and the global downturn limits his room for policy manoeuvre. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, a market favourite, is expected to stay in is post for now.
Election officials estimated the turnout at over 76 percent, the same as in 2004. Observers from the 15-nation Southern African Development Community and African Union said on Friday the election was free and fair. (Additional reporting by Phumza Macanda, Gugulakhe Lourie, Serena Chaudhry and Stella Mapenzauswa in Pretoria, Edward Cropley, Rebecca Harrison and Michael Georgy in Johannesburg; Writing by Marius Bosch; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
* ANC has 66.1 percent of vote, just short of two-thirds
* Poverty and economy will put Zuma under pressure
(Updates with latest results)
By Gordon Bell
JOHANNESBURG, April 24 (Reuters) - South Africa's ruling ANC claimed victory on Friday in a general election that will make party leader Jacob Zuma president, but was set to fall just short of a symbolically important two-thirds of the vote.
With over 95 percent of ballots counted, the African National Congress had under 66.1 percent. It needs 66.7 percent to be able to change the constitution on its own and further entrench its hold, a scenario of some concern to markets.
"The ANC has been given a clear and resounding mandate," senior party official Matthews Phosa told thousands of cheering supporters at a victory party in Johannesburg, appealing for unity among all South Africans.
Despite the failure of a party of ANC dissidents to make a dramatic impact, the ANC had less than the nearly 70 percent of the vote it won in 2004, and appeared to have lost control of the Western Cape province, centre of the tourist industry.
The rand currency firmed more than 2 percent against the dollar to a new 6-1/2-month high, aided by a strong euro and higher stocks.
A reinvigorated opposition had hoped to at least curb the majority to below two-thirds, but for many voters the ANC's credentials from the fight against white minority rule still outweigh its failure to reduce crime, poverty and AIDS.
The ANC has said it has no intention of changing the constitution even if it keeps its two-thirds majority, but falling below that would be symbolically important.
ANC DEFECTORS STRUGGLE
The Congress of the People (COPE), formed by politicians who broke from the ruling party, stood below 7.5 percent.
The ANC's closest rival was the Democratic Alliance (DA) with almost 16.4 percent. The DA, whose leader Helen Zille is white, pulled ahead of the ANC in the Western Cape, which is currently controlled by the ANC.
The 67-year-old Zuma will become president only three weeks after managing to get prosecutors to drop an eight-year-old corruption case on a technicality. His supporters dismiss the accusations against him as politically motivated.
The continent's biggest economy may already be in recession for the first time in 17 years, and some foreign investors fear that trade union allies will push Zuma to the left.
"In order to deal with the impact of the recession they will have to be a more effective government than the ANC has been in the past," said Steven Friedman, Director at the Centre for the Study of Democracy.
Zuma has repeatedly said there will be no nasty surprises for investors, and the global downturn limits his room for policy manoeuvre. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel, a market favourite, is expected to stay in is post for now.
Election officials estimated the turnout at over 76 percent, the same as in 2004. Observers from the 15-nation Southern African Development Community and African Union said on Friday the election was free and fair. (Additional reporting by Phumza Macanda, Gugulakhe Lourie, Serena Chaudhry and Stella Mapenzauswa in Pretoria, Edward Cropley, Rebecca Harrison and Michael Georgy in Johannesburg; Writing by Marius Bosch; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
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