South Africa goes to the polls on Wednesday as the country grapples with racial discrimination and economic inequality
Election officials rehearse processing a voter at a voting station in Embo near Durban, South Africa, May 7, 2019.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, head of the ANC, has campaigned on promises to clean up the rot in his party, an acknowledgment of the problems that forced his predecessor, Jacob Zuma, to resign last year. That is likely to be the Economic Freedom Fighters, a populist, left-wing party that also supports land seizures.
"But there is not a lot of excitement. People no longer have faith in the ANC," he said. "Many people I've spoken to are still not sure who they will vote for. People are going to the polls with a shrug of their shoulders."The country's young voters, who make up about 20 percent of the electorate, largely support the EFF, which is led by charismatic firebrand Julius Malema, who broke from the ANC six years ago.
Neither the president nor the parliament is elected directly. Voters cast ballots for a national party and the number of votes won by each party determines how many representatives are sent to the legislature. The president is the leader of the party that gets the most votes.
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