Ace Magashule, once a prominent figure in the African National Congress (ANC), ventured into the 2024 South African elections with his newly formed party, the African Congress for Transformation (ACT).
How Ace Magashule’s ACT performed at 2024 SA elections
However, the results were far from what he might have hoped. With 21.79% of the voting count completed, ACT had garnered only 3,745 votes, representing a mere 0.16% of the national support.
Magashule’s attempt to carve out a political niche for himself seemed to fall flat, as the ACT failed to gain significant traction among voters. Despite his efforts and high-profile background, the electorate did not seem persuaded by his new political direction.
This performance contrasts sharply with the significant roles he once held within the ANC.
In the lead-up to the elections, Magashule expressed willingness to collaborate with various other parties, including the African Transformation Movement (ATM), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), and even independents.
Speaking outside a voting station in Parys, Free State, Magashule was optimistic about forming coalitions, saying:
“Why can’t we work with ATM? Why can’t we work with EFF? Why can’t we work with MK? Why can’t we work with [Bantu] Holomisa? Why can’t we work with Hlaudi [Motsoeneng]? Why can’t we work with independents – I don’t know if we can do it.”
2024 SA election results: Here’s the latest
As the vote-counting process continued, the ANC led the pack with 1.02 million votes and 43.47% support.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) followed with 582,922 votes and 24.68% support.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) were also in a tight race, garnering 209,728 votes, just ahead of Jacob Zuma’s MK party, which secured 191,278 votes.
Other notable performances included the Patriotic Alliance, which outpaced the historically significant Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) by securing 95,736 votes and 4.05% support.
The first result was announced just after midnight in the Eastern Cape, and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) then shifted its focus to managing the results process and collation.