Inside Politics Reporter
With more than 600 000 votes counted so far, the ANC has also lost its majority in one of South Africa’s historical black townships where the 1976 Riots started and the only township that is home to two Nobel Laureates – former ANC President Nelson Mandela and the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Statistics show that the ANC has been waning in popularity over the years where it had polled a 74% of the vote followed by the EFF at 17% and the DA at 5% in 2019.
The party polled 51% in 2021 and this town around it dipped to 49% followed by the new kids on the block, former President Jacob Zuma’s MK party at 18%, the EFF at 13%, ActionSA and the DA at 7% and 5%.
Soweto, like other townships, has been affected by poor service delivery including load shedding, power outages, load reduction, crime and youth unemployment and this is the area where the MK party had its rally followed shortly after by the ANC.
Soweto is also home to President Cyril Ramaphosa who cast his ballot where he was born in Chiawelo on Wednesday. The late struggle stalwart Winnie Madikizela Mandela lived there in Orlando West until her passing.
Orlando West was also home to the PAC stalwart Zeph Motopheng who also lived and died while in Soweto.
Soweto, like other townships, has been affected by poor service delivery including load shedding, power outages, load reduction, crime, drugs and youth unemployment.
Both the ANC and MK had their manifesto launch rallies in Soweto to try and woo this large constituency to their side but clearly some residents decided that they needed change and went with the untested MK.
INSIDE POLITICS
