In a written interview with Sputnik, Amanda Gouws, a politics professor at the University of Stellenbosch, said that voters sent a clear message to the ruling party and the opposition of South Africa.
"They are tired of bad governance and have given both parties a second chance but with lower percentages. The ANC mainly lost support to the EFF and smaller parties and the DA lost support to the right – the Freedom Front+. These parties have 5 years to clean up their act," Amanda Gouws said.
READ MORE: Pundits Doubt Ramaphosa Can Curb Corruption After Elections in South Africa
The professor added that the voter turnout was only 65 per cent, much lower than expected. According to her, this represents the "protest vote."
"Voters don’t want to vote for the ANC, but do not want to vote for another party either," Amanda Gouws told Sputnik, adding that voters did not punish the ruling party by voting for any of the alternatives.
General elections are held in South Africa every five years, with the next one scheduled to run in 2024.
Views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.