On this day, November 1, 1995 the first local government elections were held in all areas of the country except in KwaZulu Natal and some parts of Western Cape due to boundary disputes.
The African National Congress (ANC) won the elections by a landslide, followed by the National Party (NP), the Inkhata Freedom Party (IFP) and the Democratic Party (DP).
Also read:ANC Mpumalanga statement on an inaccurate article published in the Sowetan
The Nelson Mandela-led ANC won seats on all 686 councils and it won a majority seats on 387 councils. It was followed by the FW de Klerk-led NP which won seats on 45 councils. The Freedom Front won control over one local council.
“Our country is today a democracy in the complete sense of the word,” said the then ANC and South African president Nelson Mandela during the party’s victory celebration held on November 3, 1995 in Johannesburg.
“The people of South Africa have spoken. They have shown their resolve to unite the nation,” he said.
NB: Information sourced from the www.anc.org.za and www.sabreakingnews.co.za
