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THE RULING AFRICAN National Congress (ANC) has vowed to learn from bruising local election results that showed South African voters turning away from the party that led the anti-apartheid struggle.
With the nationwide vote count almost complete, the ANC was ahead overall but recorded its worst electoral performance since white-minority rule fell 22 years ago.
The party once headed by Nelson Mandela was on 54% of the vote — sharply down from 62% in the last municipal elections in 2011.
On Friday, it conceded defeat to the main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) in Port Elizabeth, an industrial city that was a key battleground of Wednesday’s election.
The two parties were still in a close fight for Pretoria, the capital, and Johannesburg, the country’s economic centre, with the ANC set to lose its outright majorities in both cities.
“We are now going to do an introspective look at ourselves,” said Cyril Ramaphosa, vice president of both the ANC and the country.
(Our critics) think that we are arrogant, they think we are self-centred… I would like to dispute that and say we are a listening organisation.
Defeat in Port Elizabeth was a humiliating blow for the ANC as the municipality is officially known as Nelson Mandela Bay in tribute to its past as a hotbed of anti-apartheid activism.
“The fall in support has been dramatic, in levels never seen before,” political analyst Somadoda Fikeni told AFP.
The poor performance, particularly in urban metros, points to declining support among the middle-class. These voters are concerned about the issues affecting the economy and unemployment.
The results were seen as a marker ahead of the next general election due in 2019.
President Jacob Zuma will not stand again after serving the maximum two terms.
According to official results on Friday, the DA was on 26% with the radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on 8%.
Zuma under pressure?
“It’s good for our democracy,” Mmusi Maimane, the DA’s first black leader, said.
It says the democratic process is working…and now we have got to work hard.
The election was widely seen as a referendum on Zuma, who has been plagued by a series of scandals and court cases since taking office in 2009.
An unemployment rate of 27% and GDP growth at zero percent have added to his woes as frustration builds among poor black communities seeing scarce improvements since apartheid fell.
Zuma, 74, who was jailed on Robben Island with Mandela during apartheid, retains deep loyalty within the ANC and in many rural areas, but he could step down before his term ends in 2019.
“All of this points at Zuma, ultimately the buck stops with him,” Fikeni said.
The corroded moral authority of the ANC under Zuma is one of the factors, and his name keeps featuring in major political scandals.
Contesting its first local poll after bursting onto the scene in the 2014 general election, the far-left EFF could emerge in the influential role of kingmaker.
“We are happy that the ANC has been punished,” charismatic party leader Julius Malema told reporters.
The writing is on the wall, and (the election in) 2019 is going to be a serious challenge for the ruling party.
The EFF, which won 6% of the national vote in 2014, advocates land redistribution without compensation and the nationalisation of mines.
Complete results were expected late Friday or Saturday.
Turnout was about 58% as voters chose mayors and other local representatives responsible for hot-button issues including water, sanitation and power supplies.
Problems providing such basics trigger regular and sometimes violent “service delivery” protests in South Africa, where harsh socio-economic divisions remain a grim legacy of the apartheid era.
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They can send either of them two in the photo to Ballinamore, we’ll keep an eye on them.
They need new blood. Best of luck kids.
Like, is this totally your vehicle like.
I for one believe that thos two Gardai will live a happier lives than other gardai because men will do whatever they ask
Cos they’ll be f*** all use on the streets of Ballymun…
somebody in the department of justice has ocd with the number 5!
5 Garda units. One Garda recruit to each unit would explain the fascination with the number 5.
A week on The beat in ballymun will soon wipe those smiles away.good luck to them they’re going to need it.
Well those two,can handcuff me anytime they like.
I’d like to take down their particulars.
The one on the left looks like a bit of a plank if you ask me. I’d say she wouldn’t know her asp from her elbow.
Nice gentle posting for the lucky 5 who got Dun Laoghaire.
This is not going to be a popular statement but the Gardai have lost effectiveness by being overly feminised. The force is gender balanced in accordance with political correctness but then has to counter criminality, often violent that is 90% male. They have no credibility on the street. If you are getting the head kicked off you by a bunch of thugs, who do you want to arrive? A pair of strong agressive GAA type Gardai or two Barbai?
But as everyone here keeps saying….. Ahhh sure aren’t they lovely!!
For once David your not talking Shite!
The force is not gender balanced, there are far more male gardaí than female. The size of the garda is of little consequence nowadays as practically everyone knows how hamstrung they’ve become by the system. There’s no deterrent coming from the courts so the gouger knows he’s little chance of being locked up, even if he assaults the garda. The ombudsman is only too keen to prosecute gardaí on the flimsiest of cases so if the garda does anything to the gouger he ends up in bother, regardless of the justification. If the garda does have to get physical with the gougers, the world & his wife whips out the camera phone in order to capture the ‘police brutality’ and he or she ends up in a clickbait article here with the do-gooder mob baying for their blood.
Lugs Brannigan himself could rise from the grave to go back on the beat and it would make no difference, ‘society’ doesn’t want that sort of policing anymore.
The majority of those recruited are still male, the gender balance isn’t going to change soon. That vast majority of the time, you don’t get the luxury of deciding who gets to deal with an incident; whoever is available gets sent.
ah the guards are going to look mad young now…
She has a smile that could take away the pain,as she sprays the pepper spray into your eyes .
all the best to all of them, I hope they blend with the area and build good relationship with the public.
Congratulations to you @mdmak33…..you’ve won Miss World.
There was a time when the big tall guard was feared by kids in an area…not anymore. If you are going to have young small guards patrolling the streets then arm then fur gods sake…even a Batton or taser
They’ve always had batons & pepper spray has been issued for a few years now. There was a time when you got good jail time for assaulting a garda; now you’ll get feck all & can make a complaint against the garda for looking at you sideways, with no comeback if it turns out you were lying. Why would you fear them?
Jaysus Bán Gardaí didn’t used to look like that. Saw a young Ban Garda last year – fully made up with lipstick on while working – thought it strange.
ban gardi you can be arrested for that now!
I’m hoping the two in photos are in the online unit.
Sgt.Yates you sexist dinosaur!
There are no Ban Gardai anymore. There are Gatdai who get maternity leave and Gardai who don’t get maternity leave.
Nice.
Those five Garda gone to Portlaoise would be better off in Portarlington! that way with the officers that are already here the station could open 24/7. at the moment Port might as well not have a Garda station it’s open 9 a.m to 1 p.m then open from 8 p.m to 9 p.m outside those hours you have to ring Portlaoise guards to come over by the time they get here you could have robbed five shops and get a clean getaway
New guards should be assigned to big stations first to learn the ropes.
Doesn’t matter how many or where they’re allocated. Two weeks in their new stations and they’ll be indoctrinated into the lazy, slovenly ways of their senior colleagues.
Class2015. Started.training this year?collect 5 packets.of crisps.and become a garda ha
God you’re hilarious altogether. Any other good ones there for us?
Loads Marty
Class of refers to when you graduate. Everyday is a school day.
Looks like some one in Garda HQ done a lot of research to where the garda were needed the most.Then got there phone out Garda dived by stations = 5 with Waterford getting the short straw
hmm beautiful faces, wouldn’t mind to get arrested :P
There is no crime in Roscommon then? Where is our hero Fearless Frank Feighan? I hear hes a stand in on the Conor McGregor fight!
So Carlow is grand no need for guards no crime here? ? ?
The Garda on the left would make a great stripper if a career in the guards doesn’t work out for her. Not sure about the one on the right though.
One can always rely on some dick to demean women.
If you prefer male strippers then that’s fine I won’t hold it against you.
The figures are incorrect.
Count again Claire
It’s not the number in total, it’s the allocation.
County Claire.
Simple yet Brilliant !
Aren’t they lovely in their little hats!
More prisons needed as the Gardai are simply chasing the same people around every day, such a waste of their time. More prisons with longer sentences needed in order for the decent people of Ireland to feel safe in their homes. SF would let the existing prison population out tomorrow as they are soft on crime – they don’t have a problem with child abuse or elderly people being beaten up as they have members who have a history of the same crimes.
Mindfilirish
You need a mind flush as your brain is full of sh&t
Can either of them see over the steering wheel in the police car ???
have your say