12 parties for SA's Parliament
19 April 2004
Over 15 million South Africans voted peacefully in South Africa's 2004 elections, giving the African National Congress an overwhelming 279 out of 400 seats in Parliament, while increasing the opposition Democratic Alliance's share to 50 seats. Ten other parties join them in the national legislature.
The 15 863 554 people who voted on 14 April accounted for 76.7% of the country's 20.7 million registered voters, or 58.7% of the estimated 27 million South Africans who are elegible to vote.
The ANC scooped 69.68% of the national vote, as well as winning the majority of seats in all nine provinces, including the closely contested KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape - the only two provinces where the ANC did not win absolute majorities (see more on the provinces below).
This was the biggest win for the ANC since the country's first democratic elections 10 years ago, and up from the 66.35% majority it won in the 1999 elections.
The Democratic
Alliance (DA) also strengthened its position as South Africa's official opposition party, its 12.37% of the national vote up from the 9.56% it won in 1999, giving it 50 parliamentary seats.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) will take up 28 seats in Parliament, having won 6.97% of the national vote, down from the 8.58% it won five years ago.
The United Democratic Movement (UDM) secured nine parliamentary seats with 2.28% of the national vote (also down, from 3.42% in 1999).
Newcomers the Independent Democrats (ID) performed well in the party's first election, clinching seven seats in Parliament with 1.73% of the vote.
While the New National Party (NNP) also managed to win seven parliamentary seats, this represented a thrashing for the party: its 1.64% of the national vote was down from 6.87% in the 1999 elections.
The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) received six parliamentary seats, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) received four, while the Pan
Africanist Congress (PAC) and the United Christian Democratic Party (UCDP) each recorded three seats.
Also making the trip to the national legislature is the Minority Front (MF) and Azanian People's Organisation (Azapo), who will each occupy two seats.
ANC sweeps the provinces
The ANC won the majority of seats in all South Africa's nine provinces.
The only provinces where the ANC did not win absolute majorities, and which will therefore be run by a governing coalition of parties, were KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
In all, 12 political parties will be represented variously in the nine provincial legislatures - the same 12 parties that won representation in the national legislature.
The provincial election results are as follows:
Eastern Cape (63-seat legislature)
ANC - 51
UDM - 6
DA - 5
PAC - 1
Free State (30-seat legislature)
ANC - 25
DA - 3
ACDP -
1
VF+ - 1
Gauteng (73-seat legislature)
ANC - 51
DA - 15
IFP - 2
UDM - 1
VF+ - 1
ACDP - 1
ID - 1
PAC - 1
KwaZulu-Natal (80-seat legislature)
ANC - 38
IFP - 30
DA - 7
ACDP - 2
MF - 2
UDM - 1
Limpopo (49-seat legislature)
ANC - 45
DA - 2
UDM - 1
ACDP - 1
Mpumalanga (30-seat legislature)
ANC - 27
DA - 2
VF+ - 1
North West (33-seat legislature)
ANC - 27
UCDP - 3
DA - 2
VF+ - 1
Northern Cape (30-seat legislature)
ANC - 21
DA - 3
ID - 2
NNP - 2
VF+ - 1
ACDP - 1
Western Cape (42-seat legislature)
ANC - 19
DA - 12
NNP - 5
ID - 3
ACDP - 2
UDM - 1
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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