South Africa: SA`s New Boss

27 April, 2009 in South Africa

source: allAfrica
Cape Argus (Cape Town)
Christelle Terreblanche and Carien du Plessis

Cape Town — After a fiercely contested election, ANC leader Jacob Zuma has moved to reassure the nation that he will be a president for all South Africans.

He was speaking shortly after the Independent Electoral Commission announced that the ANC won 65.90 percent, less than the desired two-thirds majority.

The ANC won eight provinces but lost the Western Cape to the DA.

The ANC lost 15 of the 279 seats allocated to it in the National Assembly in 2004.

Even before the final results were officially announced yesterday, Parliament was sending out SMSs to new MPs to fill in their particulars on the website by the end of the day. The 400 new MPs are expected to be sworn in next week before Zuma’s inauguration on May 9.

Zuma struck a reconciliatory tone yesterday at the IEC results centre in Pretoria, where the final elections outcome was declared.

“To those South Africans who did not vote for the ANC, we will form a government that takes care of your needs to the best of our ability,” he said.

Zuma acknowledged that the country had “gone through a difficult period over a few years” and said it was now time to [continue reading]

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