Mandela Hails All-Race Election In South Africa

Celebrating his party’s strong showing, President Nelson Mandela on Friday declared the nation’s first all-race local elections a victory for the “whole of South Africa.”

Mandela said Wednesday’s vote had made South Africa “a democracy in the complete sense of the word.”

“The people of South Africa have spoken,” Mandela told a victory rally at a downtown hotel. “They have shown their resolve to unite the nation and build a better life for all.”

The elections for almost 700 local and rural councils completed the transition to multiracial rule that began in April 1994 with the first allrace vote at the national level.

As Mandela was toasted with champagne, his African National Congress announced the current tally.

ANC Secretary-General Cyril Ramaphosa said the ANC won strong victories in most of the 400 councils where vote-counting was complete.

Of those, the ANC won more than 50 percent of the vote in 240 councils.

The ANC looked set to dominate at least some councils in all of the eight provinces where voting took place. Its nearest rival, the white-led National Party, was likely to control councils in only four provinces, election officials said.