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Mmusi Maimane, leader of the largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, speaks to the media as he visits the Independent Electoral Commission Results Center in Pretoria, South Africa Thursday, May 9, 2019. South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election and preliminary results show that the ruling African National Congress party (ANC) has an early lead in the national elections but has seen its share of the vote drop significantly. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

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Mmusi Maimane, leader of the largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, greets a supporter, left, as he visits the Independent Electoral Commission Results Center in Pretoria, South Africa Thursday, May 9, 2019. South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election and preliminary results show that the ruling African National Congress party (ANC) has an early lead in the national elections but has seen its share of the vote drop significantly. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

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In this photo taken Wednesday, May 8, 2019, vote counting begins at a polling station in Cape Town, South Africa. Vote counting continued Thursday May 9, 2019 after South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election that pits President Cyril Ramaphosa's ruling African National Congress against top opposition parties Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters, 25 years after the end of apartheid. (AP Photo/Nasief Manie)

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South African television channels report results as they come in from the Independent Electoral Commission Results Center in Pretoria, South Africa Thursday, May 9, 2019. South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election that pits President Cyril Ramaphosa's ruling African National Congress against top opposition parties Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters, 25 years after the end of apartheid. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

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In this photo taken Wednesday, May 8, 2019, vote counting begins at a polling station in Cape Town, South Africa. Vote counting continued Thursday May 9, 2019 after South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election that pits President Cyril Ramaphosa's ruling African National Congress against top opposition parties Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters, 25 years after the end of apartheid. (AP Photo/Nasief Manie)

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Gwede Mantashe, National Chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC), speaks to the media at the Independent Electoral Commission Results Center in Pretoria, South Africa Thursday, May 9, 2019. South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election that pits President Cyril Ramaphosa's ruling African National Congress against top opposition parties Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters, 25 years after the end of apartheid. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

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Former President of Tanzania Jakaya Kikwete, center, who is leading the African Union Election Observation Mission, is shown the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Results Center in Pretoria, South Africa Thursday, May 9, 2019. South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election that pits President Cyril Ramaphosa's ruling African National Congress against top opposition parties Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters, 25 years after the end of apartheid. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

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Mosotho Moepya, a Commissioner of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), speaks at the podium at the results center in Pretoria, South Africa Thursday, May 9, 2019. South Africans voted Wednesday in a national election and preliminary results show that the ruling African National Congress party (ANC) has an early lead in the national elections but has seen its share of the vote drop significantly. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

South Africa's ruling ANC takes lead as votes being counted

By Associated Press AP

PUBLISHED 4:47 PM ET May. 09, 2019

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The ruling African National Congress held a comfortable lead in South Africa's presidential and parliamentary election with more than two-thirds of the vote counted Thursday, but the incomplete count showed the party received less support than in the last balloting five years ago.

Opposition parties made widespread allegations of corruption against the ANC a major part of their campaigns ahead of Wednesday's election. Voter apathy appeared to have affected turnout, which fell to 65% from 74% in 2014.

The ANC, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, had 57% of the vote with 67% of polling districts counted, according to results announced by the electoral commission. It received 62% of the total vote five years ago.

The Democratic Alliance received 22% of the vote so far, the most of any opposition party, about the same share it received in 2014.

DA party leader Mmusi Maimane campaigned vigorously on the corruption issue. Speaking at the electoral commission's results center Thursday evening, he said his party appeals to South Africans of all races.

"We will never be a party for whites. We will never be a party for blacks," said Maimane. "We are a party for all South Africans."

The populist, left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters, which also made graft a main campaign issue, increased its share of the vote to nearly 10% support.

More than 40 smaller parties also took part in the election.

In South Africa, the president and parliament are not elected directly. The number of votes won by each party determines how many representatives are sent to the national 400-seat legislature. The president of the country is the leader of the party that gets the most votes.

Results from South Africa's more remote areas are expected to trickle in, and electoral officials say final results may not be announced until Saturday.

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