Victory in sight for ANC in closely-watched South Africa poll

PRETORIA: South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's ruling ANC was in touching distance of election victory on Friday but with diminished support, complicating efforts to revive the country's flagging economy and fight corruption, results showed.

The Economic Freedom Fighters, founded six years ago by former ANC youth leader Julius Malema, was in third place with almost 10 per cent.A new projection by South Africa's respected Council for Scientific and Industrial Research forecast the ANC would win with 57 per cent - a five percentage point drop from the last election in 2014.Jessie Duarte, the ANC deputy secretary-general, said the partial results were neither a"disappointment" nor a"surprise".

"This is an election that will really offer the ANC a last chance to kickstart economic growth," said analyst Daniel Silke."The pressure is really on Ramaphosa in the next five years." The ANC's reputation was badly sullied under Zuma. Its support has fallen in every election since 2004 with the party taking 54 per cent in 2016 municipal elections, compared with 62 per cent in 2014's national vote.

"We have given them 25 years but the poor are getting poorer and the rich richer," said voter Anmareth Preece, 28, a teacher."We need a government that governs for the people, not for themselves."The economy grew just 0.8 per cent in 2018 and unemployment hovers around 27 per cent - soaring to over 50 per cent among young people.

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