(25 Apr 09 - RV) South African election results released today show the African National
Congress might have fallen short of winning its cherished two-thirds parliamentary
majority.
But the tally
affirmed the ruling party's overall victory and set the stage for the Jacob Zuma rise
to the presidency.
The ANC views Zuma as the first leader who can energize
voters since the legendary Nelson Mandela.
But others say Zuma is too beholden
to unions and leftists, and will not be able to fulfill his promises of creating jobs
and a stronger social safety net.
Spokesperson for London Based Zimbabwe Vigil,
Dennis Benton, says that Zuma is likely to take a different approach than his predecessor
in tackling problems with neighboring Zimbabwe