ANC election landslide confirmed

Mbeki has promised not to let voters down

Officials have confirmed that the ruling African National Congress secured nearly 70% in South Africa's third multi-racial general elections.

The ANC's 69.68% share represents its largest majority since coming to power.

President Thabo Mbeki thanked voters for the landslide victory and praised their peaceful conduct at the polls.

Addressing about 5,000 supporters at a celebration party in Johannesburg, Mr Mbeki vowed to keep the ANC's election promises and not to disappoint voters.

The opposition Democratic Alliance, a mainly white party, trailed the ANC with just over 12% of the vote.

The Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party came third in the polls, with nearly 7% of the ballot.

Decisive mandate

Mr Mbeki says he has no intention of revising the constitution despite winning a two-thirds parliamentary majority which would allow him to make such changes.

"It is quite clear that the ANC has got the overwhelming support and confidence of the people of South Africa," Mr Mbeki said.

"It also, I think, poses a challenge to the ANC not to disappoint the expectations of the millions of people who voted so overwhelmingly for the ANC."

"We must not allow the decisive mandate we have received from the people to encourage an attitude of arrogance among ourselves," Mr Mbeki told the partying crowd.

No surprises

Fears of apathy proved unfounded. There was a turnout of almost 77% among the 21 million registered voters.

This is down on the past two multi-racial elections, but still much higher than more established democracies.

FINAL RESULTS 1. ANC: 69.68% 2. DA: 12.37% 3. IFP: 6.97% 4. Others: 10.8% Triumph of democracy

The ANC won seven of the nine provinces outright.

It also looks set to continue its control of Western Cape province in coalition with the New National Party (NNP).

However, it failed to secure an outright majority in KwaZulu-Natal, polling 46% to the Inkatha Freedom Party's 38% which may end up in a coalition with smaller parties. The IFP secured little support elsewhere in the country.

Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon said his party's slight improvement on the last election meant this was a steady platform for growth.

But the BBC's Richard Hamilton in Pretoria says despite his party's efforts to woo black voters, his gains mainly came at the expense of other parties in what turned out to be a fragmented opposition.

The ruling party during the apartheid era, the New National Party, has seen its support drop dramatically, gaining only 1.7% of the vote.

The ANC says it managed to widen its appeal among non-black voters.

But correspondents say the reality remains that all the opposition parties struggled to convince substantial numbers of black people to vote for them.

Future

The Independent Electoral Commission said voting passed off smoothly with only minor glitches.

South Africans share their feelings as they vote.

In pictures

Regional observers declared the elections free and fair.

With the ANC securing another huge majority in parliament, President Thabo Mbeki will be sworn in for his second five-year term in office on 27 April, the day South Africa celebrates a decade of democracy.

ANC leaders say the overwhelming mandate shows that the ANC has been delivering services to the poor.

"The results show that people really appreciate what we have achieved in the last 10 years," ANC spokesman Steyn Speed said.

But Mr Mbeki has been widely criticised for his handling of HIV/Aids and high levels of poverty, unemployment and crime.

An editorial in Johannesburg's Star newspaper on Friday warned that "the trust voters have placed in the ANC should not be betrayed".