South Africa held its first democratic elections on April 27th, 1994 after years of difficult negotiation and struggle. These were followed by more years in the interim of democracy until Nelson Mandela was elected as president in the first majority-rule election in 1994.
The country’s first constitution paved the way for a new democratic dispensation. This was the first time that all races in the country had equal voting rights, and they voted for a government of their choice.
Nineteen political parties participated in the election and twenty-two million people voted. It took place in a festive environment, despite fears of violent political tension.
The African National Congress (ANC) won the election with 62.65 % of the vote. The National Party (NP) received 20.39 %, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) 10.54 %, Freedom Front (FF) 2.2 %, Democratic Party (DP) 1.7 %, Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) 1.2 % and the African Christian Democratic Party 0.5 %.
Although the ANC gained a majority vote and Nelson Mandela became the first black President, some believe he did not lead them to power as effectively as he could.
