South Africans head to the voting booth on Wednesday in what is being seen as a pivotal election after years of corruption scandals that have plagued the “Rainbow Nation.”
While dozens of parties are competing, there are three main contenders: the ruling African National Congress (ANC), the radical left-wing Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The ANC is almost certain to win again, however the party has been damaged in the last decade by a stream of scandals under former president Jacob Zuma.
Zuma was forced to resign in 2018 and is currently on trial on corruption charges.
His replacement, Cyril Ramaphosa, has a cleaner reputation, however he has lost votes in recent years to the EFF and its firebrand leader Julius Malema, who promises to redistribute white-owned land and nationalise the banks.
The DA, meanwhile, has also eaten into the ANC’s once-dominant share of the vote.
In the last municipal elections, the DA won in two key cities,…
