SOUTH AFRICA ELECTION: WHO’S WHO?

All eyes will be on South Africa as some 28-million voters head to the polls to choose new leaders at national and regional levels. The election has been dubbed the most competitive and crucial since the country’s first democratic one 30 years ago.

The African National Congress (ANC) convincingly won subsequent elections and has dominated the national political landscape ever since. However, according to several opinion polls, that dominance could be significantly eroded by the 29th May vote.

A survey conducted by Pan-African research group Afrobarometer suggests that the party is likely to garner less than 40% of ballots - way below the 50% share it needs to form a government. The decline in support for the liberation movement-turned-ruling party is seen as a verdict on its governance record, which, according to many South Africans, has failed to improve the welfare of the majority-Black population.

While dozens of parties will appear on the ballot, the ANC’s chief competition comes from three political parties - two of them being ANC offshoots.

African Stream takes a deep dive into what they’ve got to offer. Do you think we’ll see a coalition? Between whom?