JOHANNESBURG — Jacob Zuma’s supporters danced and sang in the streets Thursday in celebration as partial results from South Africa’s parliamentary elections showed him in line to become the country’s next president.
Zuma’s warmth and rise from poverty to political prominence have drawn adoring crowds throughout the election campaign, although critics question whether he can implement his populist agenda amid the global economic meltdown.
Preliminary results from the 10.09 million ballots counted so far Thursday showed Zuma’s African National Congress party leading the vote with 66.70 percent. Parliament elects South Africa’s president by a simple majority, putting Zuma in line for the post when the new assembly votes in May.
A record 23 million South Africans registered to vote. A 77 percent turnout has been recorded at those polling stations where counting has finished. Final results were expected late Thursday or possibly today.
Several thousand of Zuma’s supporters, though, did not wait to begin the celebrations, gathering in a square in downtown Johannesburg late Thursday afternoon. People danced and broke out the noisemakers and barbecues.
Some waved yellow flags with “Zuma 4 president” in bold black, while others sang Zuma’s signature anti-apartheid song, “Umshini Wami,” or “Bring Me My Machine Gun.”
The song has its roots among the ANC military training camps where frustrated guerrillas wished for weapons so they could return to fight apartheid.
Zuma later addressed his supporters, before leading the crowd in singing as green confetti blew across the stage and people drank champagne.
“We are not yet celebrating victory. Right now, I am just coming to thank you. The real celebration is still on its way,” he said in Zulu.
The ANC views Zuma as the first leader who can energize voters since the legendary Nelson Mandela.
Te Ngubane, 52, a clerk at a police station, said she felt South Africa’s previous government hadn’t listened to people like her.
“We trust Zuma because he is straight. He doesn’t go like this,” she said, moving her hand in front of her chest as if it were a snake.
But others say Zuma is too beholden to unions and leftists and will not be able to fulfill his promises of creating jobs and a stronger social safety net. At the end of the campaign, Zuma was talking not about creating jobs but about staving off job losses.
“We are expecting a lot — many houses, schools, jobs,” said Precious Mosiane, 25, who is unemployed and looking for work. “We are aware that the economy is in trouble, but we are going to make sure (the government fulfills its promises).”
The ANC has swept every poll since the first post-apartheid election in 1994.
In 2004, the ANC won 69.69 percent of the vote.
