Voters in the Most Important Election Since Apartheid’s End: South Africa
In an election deemed the most significant in 30 years for their nation, South Africans began voting Wednesday in schools, community centers, and large white tents set up in open fields . This election could place the young democracy in uncharted territory. President Cyril Ramaphosa, accompanied by his wife Tshepo Motsepe, cast his vote in the Soweto Johannesburg township. The African National Congress (ANC), which has dominated for three decades and led South Africa out of apartheid in 1994, now faces a new generation's discontent in a nation of 62 million people, half of whom are said to live in poverty. With an unemployment rate of 32%, Africa’s most developed economy reflects some of the most severe socioeconomic issues worldwide. Despite its slogan of "a better life for all," the persistent inequality—with poverty and joblessness disproportionately affecting the black majority—threatens the ANC's hold on power. After six consecutive national election victories,...