ANC set to lose ground in South Africa vote

The African National Congress (ANC) may be the country's strongest political bloc, but its popularity is dwindling - especially among black voters; and some plan to make their voices heard on Wednesday, Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa reported from Johannesburg.
The ANC, in power since the end of apartheid 17 years ago, is expected to storm to victory given the public esteem it still enjoys for bringing down the white-minority rule.

But the ANC and its leader, President Jacob Zuma, could be embarrassed by any gains for the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), which runs Cape Town and has campaigned as the party that can deliver municipal services.
Shadrack Gutto, a professor of African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa, told Al Jazeera that ANC has failed to deliver on many of its promises, on issues of high concern to its core voters, such as better services, less corruption, the provision of housing and drinking water.

The DA, meanwhile has concentrated its campaign on the low-income black population that has largely voted for the ANC in previous elections.

"We are dealing with a situation where incumbency sometimes gives an advantage, and sometimes a disadvantage,” he explained.

"This is a big day for us nationally not just in the Western Cape," Hellen Zille, the DA leader, said after casting her vote.
"It's neck and neck there so I want to encourage all of our supporters to go out and vote because we are building this democracy," Zille said.
"It's very bad to have single party dominance and the DA has proved that we deliver better for all."