afrol News, 23 April - The ruling ANC party members in South Africa have already started celebrations as their party reached the 5 million mark of votes signalling almost a lanslide victory in the national election.

The ANC leader Jacob Zuma was reported to have joined the street parties, telling his supporters that he could already smell victory outside the ANC headquarters.

Mr Zuma, who is assured of the presidency, said he belied that the party would collect at least 70 percent of the votes, promising his supporters that the real celebration was yet to come.

Counting of votes continues and the finality is only expected by late tomorrow, with the ANC already leading with 66.7 percent of the vote, with the opposition Democratic Alliance at 16 percent and the ANC breakaway Congress of the People (COPE) at 7.8 percent, followed by the Inkatha Freedom Party in the fourth position.

The South African elections have been mostly declared peaceful by observers despite earlier reports on election day yesterday of election employees being fired in an out and some handed to police for different irregularies such as being found with ballot papers already marked.

The country's electoral authority has also said the turn up for voting was massive with some polling stations temporarily running out of ballot papers and other election materials which had to be replenished.

This is the fourth South African election since the demise of apartheid in 1994 which saw the first black majority emerge in the country.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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