Cape Town – The ANC has conveyed its congratulations to the people of Angola for staging peaceful general elections this week, as results slowly begin to trickle in, two days after voting took place on Wednesday.
The ANC congratulated it’s ‘sister party’, the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), which looks set to win the elections, according to early statistics from the Commission of National Elections of Angola.
Angola’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) said on Thursday that with nearly all votes counted, the governing MPLA held a majority over the opposition, Reuters reported.
The electoral commission said that with 97.3% of votes counted, the MPLA, which has been in power for nearly five decades, had obtained 51.7% of the votes, with main opposition party Unita on 44.5%.
The relationship between the ANC and MPLA spanned decades – stemming in particular from the MPLA’s gracious support for the liberation of the peoples of southern Africa from the yoke of apartheid, colonialism and imperialism, the ANC said.
“We will never forget MPLA’s contribution, sacrifices and the suffering that was borne by the people of Angola due to its hosting of army training camps and for providing refuge to the ANC, Swapo (South West Africa People’s Organisation) and Zapu (Zimbabwe African People’s Union) military wings until their independence.”
“The ANC accepted an invitation to participate in Angola’s 2022 general elections as part of an international party political observer mission and its delegation led by ANC International Relations Sub-committee chairperson Lindiwe Zulu and supported by ANC NEC member Alvin Botes.”
The delegation visited more than five voting assemblies, witnessing the opening of a voting assembly, voting assemblies during the voting and vote-counting process after the assembly had closed.
According to the delegation, the elections were generally peaceful and well organised by the Commission of National Elections of Angola.
“The ANC is encouraged that peace and stability on the continent is growing, resulting in the respect and trust for institutions of governance and democracy.”
The ANC noted that another important development was the strengthening of party-to-party relations. Such successes would harness the intensification of solidarity campaigns across the continent and globally, it said.
The ANC has called for greater inclusion of the youth and women in local and national leadership in party politics.
The youth are encouraged to assume greater leadership roles in advancing community needs and aspirations, consciously responding to societal challenges and tackling these head-on.
During the visit to Angola, ANC said it also took the opportunity to strengthen its bond and co-operation with the MPLA.