There was never any doubt about who would win parliamentary elections held in South Africa last week. The African National Congress (ANC), which has dominated the country's politics since the apartheid era ended, was certain to prevail. The only question was the ANC's margin of victory and whether it would retain the two-thirds majority that would allow it to amend the constitution. It did not. A razor-sharp deficit means that the feared leftward lurch of the ANC will not materialize. It is not a bad result.
The ANC has won every election since South Africa embraced democracy in 1994. During these past 15 years, successive ANC governments have governed from the center to maintain stability and stem the flight of white citizens and capital. The economy has grown throughout that period; it expanded on average 5 percent from 2004-2007. About 800,000 whites have left since 1994; more than 4.5 million remain, providing knowhow and skills as well as a much needed signal of confidence in the government.
This year's election threatened to depart from that path. Mr. Jacob Zuma now leads the ANC, and many in South Africa worry about the policies he will adopt. Mr. Zuma joined the ANC as a teenager and held various positions in the organization. Unlike his predecessor Mr. Thabo Mbeki, or even the revered Mr. Nelson Mandela, Mr. Zuma is down to earth and a man of the people. His populism has endeared him to many voters and encouraged them to overlook periodic controversies, such as allegations of rape and charges of corruption that stem from a relationship with a friend and businessman.