From the SA Press Association
The Democratic Alliance held a slim lead over the Inkatha Freedom Party on the provincial ballot in KwaZulu-Natal in the race to become the official opposition in the province, according to election results from the Electoral Commission of SA.
While the African National Congress, by 5.13am on Friday, appeared to have secured a resounding victory in the province with 64.48 percent of the vote, the DA led the IFP by 0.92 percent in the race for second place.
The DA had won 423,608 votes (12.16 percent), versus the IFP’s 391,679 votes (11.24 percent).
If the DA do become the official opposition in KwaZulu-Natal, it will be the first time ever they have done so.
A reason could be the National Freedom Party, launched by former IFP chairwoman Zanele kaMagwaza-Msibi in the beginning of 2011, which has received 266,230 votes, possibly cutting into the IFP’s base.
In the 2009 provincial elections in KwaZulu-Natal, the IFP came second behind the ANC with 22.4 percent, while the DA came third with 9.15 percent.
The vote count by early Friday morning was 95.13 percent in the province.
