1999 South African general election

General elections were held in South Africa on 2 June 1999. The result was a landslide victory for the governing African National Congress (ANC), which gained fourteen seats. Incumbent president Nelson Mandela declined to seek re-election as president on grounds of his age. This election was notable for the sharp decline of the New National Party, previously the National Party (NP), which without former State President F. W. de Klerk lost more than half of their former support base. The liberal Democratic Party became the largest opposition party, after being the fifth largest party in the previous elections in 1994. The number of parties represented in the National Assembly increased to thirteen, with the United Democratic Movement, jointly headed by former National Party member Roelf Meyer, and former ANC member Bantu Holomisa, being the most successful of the newcomers with fourteen seats.

1999 South African general election

← 1994 2 June 1999 2004 →
← outgoing members elected members →
All 400 seats in the National Assembly 201 seats needed for a majority
Registered	18,172,751
Turnout	89.30% ( 2.43pp)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Thabo Mbeki Tony Leon Mangosuthu Buthelezi Party ANC DP IFP Last election 62.65%, 252 seats 1.73%, 7 seats 10.54%, 43 seats Seats won 266 38 34 Seat change 14 31 9 Popular vote 10,601,330 1,527,337 1,371,477 Percentage 66.35% 9.56% 8.58% Swing 3.70pp 7.83pp 1.96pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk Bantu Holomisa Kenneth Meshoe Party NNP UDM ACDP Last election 20.39%, 82 seats[a] Did not exist 0.45%, 2 seats Seats won 28 14 6 Seat change 54 New party 4 Popular vote 1,098,215 546,790 228,975 Percentage 6.87% 3.42% 1.43% Swing 13.52pp New party 0.98pp
President before election Nelson Mandela ANC Elected President Thabo Mbeki ANC

National Assembly results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	African National Congress	10,601,330	66.35	266	+14
	Democratic Party	1,527,337	9.56	38	+31
	Inkatha Freedom Party	1,371,477	8.58	34	−9
	New National Party	1,098,215	6.87	28	−54
	United Democratic Movement	546,790	3.42	14	New
	African Christian Democratic Party	228,975	1.43	6	+4
	Freedom Front	127,217	0.80	3	−6
	United Christian Democratic Party	125,280	0.78	3	New
	Pan Africanist Congress	113,125	0.71	3	−2
	Federal Alliance	86,704	0.54	2	New
	Minority Front	48,277	0.30	1	+1
	Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging	46,292	0.29	1	New
	Azanian People's Organisation	27,257	0.17	1	New
	Abolition of Income Tax and Usury Party	10,611	0.07	0	New
	Government by the People Green Party	9,193	0.06	0	New
	Socialist Party of Azania	9,062	0.06	0	New
Total		15,977,142	100.00	400	0
Valid votes		15,977,142	98.45
Invalid/blank votes		251,320	1.55
Total votes		16,228,462	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		18,172,751	89.30
Source: Election Resources

Provincial legislature results

Party		EC	FS	G	KZN	M	NW	NC	NP	WC
	African National Congress	47	25	50	32	26	27	20	44	18
	New National Party	2	2	3	3	1	1	8	1	17
	Inkatha Freedom Party	0	0	3	34	0	0	0	0	0
	Democratic Party	4	2	13	7	1	1	1	1	5
	United Democratic Movement	9	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	1
	Freedom Front	0	1	1	0	1	1	1	0	0
	African Christian Democratic Party	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	1
	United Christian Democratic Party	–	0	0	–	0	3	–	–	–
	Minority Front	–	–	–	2	–	–	–	–	–
	Pan Africanist Congress of Azania	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	Federal Alliance	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total		63	30	73	80	30	33	30	49	42

Eastern Cape

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	African National Congress	1,606,856	73.80	47	−1
	United Democratic Movement	296,015	13.60	9	New
	Democratic Party	136,859	6.29	4	+3
	New National Party	70,141	3.22	2	−4
	Pan Africanist Congress	24,837	1.14	1	0
	African Christian Democratic Party	20,857	0.96	0	0
	Freedom Front	7,287	0.33	0	0
	Inkatha Freedom Party	7,166	0.33	0	0
	Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging	3,673	0.17	0	New
	Federal Alliance	3,575	0.16	0	New
Total		2,177,266	100.00	63	+7
Valid votes		2,177,266	98.62
Invalid/blank votes		30,469	1.38
Total votes		2,207,735	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		2,454,543	89.94
Source: Election Resources

Free State

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	African National Congress	881,381	80.79	25	+1
	Democratic Party	58,163	5.33	2	+2
	New National Party	56,740	5.20	2	−2
	Freedom Front	22,996	2.11	1	−1
	United Democratic Movement	18,194	1.67	0	New
	Pan Africanist Congress	12,548	1.15	0	0
	African Christian Democratic Party	9,827	0.90	0	0
	Federal Alliance	8,798	0.81	0	New
	United Christian Democratic Party	8,543	0.78	0	New
	Inkatha Freedom Party	5,119	0.47	0	0
	Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging	4,390	0.40	0	New
	Unemployment Labour Alliance	2,974	0.27	0	New
	Socialist Party of Azania	1,235	0.11	0	New
Total		1,090,908	100.00	30	0
Valid votes		1,090,908	98.47
Invalid/blank votes		16,943	1.53
Total votes		1,107,851	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,225,730	90.38
Source: Election Resources

Gauteng

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	African National Congress	2,488,780	67.87	50	0
	Democratic Party	658,236	17.95	13	+8
	New National Party	142,579	3.89	3	−18
	Inkatha Freedom Party	128,807	3.51	3	0
	United Democratic Movement	71,630	1.95	1	New
	Freedom Front	45,750	1.25	1	−4
	African Christian Democratic Party	42,621	1.16	1	0
	Federal Alliance	32,494	0.89	1	New
	Pan Africanist Congress	26,781	0.73	0	−1
	Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging	11,450	0.31	0	New
	United Christian Democratic Party	8,642	0.24	0	New
	Azanian People's Organisation	5,896	0.16	0	New
	Socialist Party of Azania	1,990	0.05	0	New
	Labor Party	1,096	0.03	0	New
Total		3,666,752	100.00	73	–13
Valid votes		3,666,752	98.90
Invalid/blank votes		40,843	1.10
Total votes		3,707,595	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		4,154,087	89.25
Source: Election Resources

KwaZulu-Natal

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	Inkatha Freedom Party	1,241,522	41.90	34	−7
	African National Congress	1,167,094	39.38	32	+6
	Democratic Party	241,779	8.16	7	+5
	New National Party	97,077	3.28	3	−6
	Minority Front	86,770	2.93	2	+1
	African Christian Democratic Party	53,745	1.81	1	0
	United Democratic Movement	34,586	1.17	1	New
	Federal Alliance	9,762	0.33	0	New
	Pan Africanist Congress	7,654	0.26	0	−1
	Freedom Front	6,804	0.23	0	0
	Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging	5,801	0.20	0	New
	Azanian People's Organisation	5,052	0.17	0	New
	Socialist Party of Azania	3,451	0.12	0	New
	Mass United Movement	2,261	0.08	0	New
Total		2,963,358	100.00	80	–1
Valid votes		2,963,358	98.47
Invalid/blank votes		46,141	1.53
Total votes		3,009,499	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		3,443,978	87.38
Source: Election Resources

Mpumalanga

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	African National Congress	954,788	84.83	26	+1
	Democratic Party	50,421	4.48	1	+1
	New National Party	27,909	2.48	1	−2
	Freedom Front	19,170	1.70	1	−1
	United Democratic Movement	16,013	1.42	1	New
	Inkatha Freedom Party	15,901	1.41	0	0
	African Christian Democratic Party	12,586	1.12	0	0
	Federal Alliance	9,019	0.80	0	New
	Pan Africanist Congress	7,296	0.65	0	0
	Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging	4,520	0.40	0	New
	Sindawonye Progressive Party	4,318	0.38	0	New
	United Christian Democratic Party	2,553	0.23	0	New
	Azanian People's Organisation	1,090	0.10	0	New
Total		1,125,584	100.00	30	0
Valid votes		1,125,584	98.13
Invalid/blank votes		21,502	1.87
Total votes		1,147,086	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,277,783	89.77
Source: Election Resources

North West

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	African National Congress	1,030,901	78.97	27	+1
	United Christian Democratic Party	124,874	9.57	3	New
	Democratic Party	42,593	3.26	1	+1
	New National Party	29,931	2.29	1	−2
	Freedom Front	17,964	1.38	1	0
	United Democratic Movement	16,785	1.29	0	New
	African Christian Democratic Party	12,227	0.94	0	0
	Pan Africanist Congress	9,613	0.74	0	0
	Federal Alliance	7,157	0.55	0	New
	Inkatha Freedom Party	6,759	0.52	0	0
	Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging	6,637	0.51	0	New
Total		1,305,441	100.00	33	+3
Valid votes		1,305,441	98.36
Invalid/blank votes		21,722	1.64
Total votes		1,327,163	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,527,672	86.87
Source: Election Resources

Northern Cape

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	African National Congress	210,837	64.32	20	+5
	New National Party	79,214	24.17	8	−4
	Democratic Party	15,632	4.77	1	0
	Freedom Front	5,446	1.66	1	−1
	African Christian Democratic Party	5,004	1.53	0	0
	United Democratic Movement	2,936	0.90	0	New
	Pan Africanist Congress	2,158	0.66	0	0
	Federal Alliance	1,735	0.53	0	New
	Inkatha Freedom Party	1,728	0.53	0	0
	Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging	1,722	0.53	0	New
	Azanian People's Organisation	1,360	0.41	0	New
Total		327,772	100.00	30	0
Valid votes		327,772	98.53
Invalid/blank votes		4,897	1.47
Total votes		332,669	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		377,173	88.20
Source: Election Resources

Northern Province

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	African National Congress	1,464,432	88.29	44	+6
	United Democratic Movement	41,700	2.51	1	New
	New National Party	28,159	1.70	1	0
	Democratic Party	23,486	1.42	1	+1
	Pan Africanist Congress	23,325	1.41	1	+1
	African Christian Democratic Party	18,281	1.10	1	+1
	Ximoko Party	13,817	0.83	0	0
	Freedom Front	10,727	0.65	0	−1
	Azanian People's Organisation	8,931	0.54	0	New
	Dabalorivhuwa Patriotic Front	8,229	0.50	0	New
	Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging	6,598	0.40	0	New
	Inkatha Freedom Party	5,644	0.34	0	0
	Federal Alliance	5,365	0.32	0	New
Total		1,658,694	100.00	49	+9
Valid votes		1,658,694	98.51
Invalid/blank votes		25,137	1.49
Total votes		1,683,831	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,847,766	91.13
Source: Election Resources

Western Cape

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	African National Congress	668,106	42.07	18	+4
	New National Party	609,612	38.39	17	−6
	Democratic Party	189,183	11.91	5	+2
	African Christian Democratic Party	44,323	2.79	1	0
	United Democratic Movement	38,071	2.40	1	New
	Africa Moral Party	9,513	0.60	0	0
	Pan Africanist Congress	7,708	0.49	0	0
	Freedom Front	6,394	0.40	0	−1
	Federal Alliance	4,153	0.26	0	New
	Inkatha Freedom Party	2,895	0.18	0	0
	Afrikaner Eenheidsbeweging	2,854	0.18	0	New
	Government by the People Green Party	2,453	0.15	0	0
	National Coalition Party	1,126	0.07	0	New
	People's Liberation Party	915	0.06	0	New
	Workers International Vanguard League	672	0.04	0	0
Total		1,587,978	100.00	42	0
Valid votes		1,587,978	99.16
Invalid/blank votes		13,499	0.84
Total votes		1,601,477	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		1,864,019	85.92
Source: Election Resources

NCOP seats

The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) consists of 90 members, ten elected by each provincial legislature. The Members of NCOP have to be elected in proportion to the party membership of the provincial legislature.

Party		Delegate type	EC	FS	G	KZN	M	NW	NC	NP	WC	Total
	African National Congress	Permanent	4	4	4	2	5	4	4	5	2	34	63
		Special	3	4	3	2	4	4	3	4	2	29
	New National Party	Permanent		1	1	1			2		2	7	10
		Special							1		2	3
	Democratic Party	Permanent	1	1	1	1	1	1			1	7	8
		Special			1							1
	Inkatha Freedom Party	Permanent				2						2	4
		Special				2						2
	United Democratic Movement	Permanent	1							1		2	3
		Special	1									1
	African Christian Democratic Party	Permanent									1	1
	United Christian Democratic Party	Permanent						1				1
Total			10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	90
Source: South Africa Survey 2002/03[1]

Aftermath

Thabo Mbeki was elected president (unopposed) by the new Assembly on 14 June 1999, succeeding Nelson Mandela.^[2]

Notes

1. As National Party.