2004
2004 national election
South Africa held its third democratic national election, returning Thabo Mbeki and the ANC to office.
View in timelineSouth Africa held its third democratic national election in April 2004. The African National Congress won a large national majority and Thabo Mbeki began a second term as president. The election confirmed the durability of the post-1994 electoral system, while the result also highlighted the ANC's growing dominance and the uneven strength of opposition parties across provinces.
Significance
The election showed that democratic government had moved beyond the founding transition into a period of institutional consolidation, even as questions about accountability and political concentration remained.
Significance
Confirmed ANC electoral dominance in the early democratic era.
Why it matters
Confirmed ANC electoral dominance in the early democratic era, returned Thabo Mbeki for a second term and demonstrated the consolidation of national electoral institutions after the transition.
Perspective notes
The election was celebrated as evidence that democratic participation had become routine, but its result also raised questions about the strength of opposition parties, regional representation and the concentration of political power in the ANC.