Andrew Austin: At last an end to race-based politics

Democracy is alive and well in South Africa and while some may not like the democratic outcome of last week's elections, the people have spoken and Jacob Zuma will be the next President.

The African National Congress did not quite get the two-thirds mandate to change the constitution, but the 65.9 per cent of the votes it garnered gives it a clear majority.

Now Zuma has a chance to prove that he has the potential to be a true democratic leader and not the Western stereotype of an African leader.

What is done is done. Put aside the withdrawn corruption charges and the rape acquittal, we will soon see what sort of leader Zuma is.

As when he spoke to European investment bankers last year, Zuma is making all the right noises to placate a watchful international market and community.

While Zuma has indicated he will focus on increased social spending and service delivery, the ANC election manifesto did not markedly deviate from the country's current financial and monetary policies, which were deemed to be good.

Zuma has also made it clear, through aides, that he will not side with African dictators just because they are African.

Sudan's President Hassan Omar al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, has been warned not to come to South Africa for the presidential inauguration because he will be arrested and handed over.

Similarly, one can say once and for all that South Africa's quiet diplomacy toward Robert Mugabe is well and truly over.

Zuma has criticised the strategy and he is known to be a supporter of Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change.

It is in Zuma's interest to sort out the Zimbabwean mess, because he needs to stem the tide of illegal immigrations and economic refugees flooding into the republic all the time.

But that is all in the future.

What happened last week was of huge significance in the turbulent realm of South African politics.

This election has changed the political map of the country, moving it away from race-based politics and towards a normal democratic process. Race and culture-based parties like the Zulu Inkatha Freedom Party and the black consciousness party, Pan Africanist Congress, have seen their support base drop and hopefully will soon be turfed into the dustbin of history.

The same goes for Afrikaaner nationalists, the Freedom Front Plus.

The largely white Democratic Alliance will still be the official opposition with 16.66 per cent of the vote, but at least it is identifying more with black voters as well.

The ANC dissident party, the Congress of the People did not quite live up to expectations and only managed 7.42 per cent. However, if these two parties work together in Parliament, they will be able be an effective opposition to the mighty ANC.

With the ANC not having a mandate to ram policies through, the Democratic Alliance and Cope will be able to push for some compromise and be a brake on wholesale change.

This can only be good for the future of South Africa. The more normal and integrated the politics is, the more stable and secure the country will be.

* Andrew Austin is the Herald's chief reporter and was a journalist in South Africa for 14 years.