Inkatha go to court over SA poll

The Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party is to launch high court proceedings over South Africa's third multi-racial general elections.

Mangosuthu Buthelezi was Home Affairs minister in the last cabinet

IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi said the IFP had lodged more than 40 complaints about election irregularities with the Independent Electoral Commission.

But he said that rather than respond, the IEC had gone ahead at the weekend and announced final election results as free and fair.

The party would not participate in the national and provincial governments while the case was being processed, he told the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

Vote

IFP Spokseman Musa Zondi told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that the party were not being bad losers, but said the IEC did not act independently.

He said that 367,000 people who did not appear on the voter's roll in KwaZulu-Natal were allowed to vote.

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

"This equals 13% of the electorate and is big enough to affect the outcome of the vote," he said.

The province will need to be run by a coalition of parties, after both the ANC, which polled 46% and the IFP which secured 38%, failed to secure an outright majority.

There is speculation that the IFP and ANC may even do a deal.

Mr Zondi told the BBC the IFP "are still considering our options".

The ruling African National Congress secured nearly 70% of the votes in last Wednesday's poll across the country - its largest majority since coming to power.

The IFP came third in the polls, with nearly 7% of the ballot - most of which were concentrated in KwaZulu-Natal province.

There was little of the violence seen in previous elections there.

Fears of apathy also proved unfounded. There was a turnout of almost 77% among the 21 million registered voters. Regional observers also declared the elections free and fair.

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.

He praised the peaceful conduct of voters at the polls and vowed to keep the ANC's election promises and not to disappoint voters.