SOUTH AFRICANS voted today at schools, community centres, and in large white tents set up in open fields in an election seen as their country’s most important in 30 years. 

At stake is the three-decade dominance of the African National Congress (ANC), which led South Africa out of apartheid’s brutal white minority rule in 1994. 

After casting his vote, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he had no doubt that the ANC would win with a majority and remain in government.

The opposition to the ANC in this election is fierce, but fragmented. The two biggest opposition parties, the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Fighters, are not predicted to increase their vote by anything near enough to overtake the ANC. 

But Africa’s most advanced economy has some of the world’s deepest socio-economic problems, including one of the worst unemployment rates at 32 per cent. 

“Our main issue here in our community is the lack of jobs,” said Samuel Ratshalingwa, who came out to vote at 7am at the same school in the Johannesburg township of Soweto where President Ramaphosa voted.

He said: “We have to use the vote to make our voices heard about this problem.” 

After winning six successive national elections, several polls have the ANC’s support at less than 50 per cent ahead of this one. It might lose its majority in parliament for the first time, although it’s widely expected to hold the most seats.

The ANC won 57.5 per cent of the vote in the last national election in 2019.

Mr Ramaphosa has promised that the ANC will “do better” and has asked for more time and patience.

He said: “I have no doubt whatsoever in my heart of hearts that the people will once again invest confidence in the ANC to continue to lead this country” and he said he was certain South Africans would give the ANC “a firm majority.”