(23 Apr 2009) SHOTLIST
1. Newspaper board by the side of the road reading (english) 'SA The Winner In Poll Triumph'
2. Newspaper board by the side of the road reading (English) '1994 Again'
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Vox pop, Busisiwe Ntshingila, voter:
"Yes, I did (vote). Proudly South African. It went well, there was a bit of queue, I'm from a rural area where there are no queues, but in the big city life, there was a bit of a queue but it went well. Everybody seemed excited and wanted to do their thing."
4. Newspaper in rack with headline reading (English) 'Now for the final results.'
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Vox pop, Beverley Smith, voter:
"I'm interested to see who's going to win, interested to see who's going to take part and the party that is going to take part and rule over South Africa. I just pray and trust that they will be fair towards the people and as they promised, they must deliver."
6. Man holding newspaper with headline reading (English) 'Huge turnout.'
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Vox pop, Mike Honein, voter:
"We know more or less what is going to happen. The ANC is going to win and the rest is going to be second and third and the rest of it."
8. Newspaper in rack with headline reading (English) 'Xcellent'
9. Newspaper in rack
STORYLINE
The votes in South Africa's election were still being counted on Thursday as residents woke up, but newspapers were already delivering their verdict.
Headlines such as "Xcellent", "1994 Again" and "Huge turnout" greeted residents in the city of Johannesburg.
One newspaper board by the side of the road read "SA The Winner In Poll Triumph".
The ruling African National Congress took an early lead in the elections, expected to propel party leader Jacob Zuma to power despite sex and corruption scandals that would have buried a less wily populist.
Preliminary results showed the ANC with 63 percent of the 2.8 (M) million votes counted - or an estimated 15 percent of Wednesday's ballot.
Polling officials estimate 80 percent of a record 23 (M) million registered voters cast ballots.
Turnout was so heavy that some stations had temporary ballot shortages or struggled because ballot boxes filled so quickly.
Final results were expected later Thursday or possibly Friday.
The ANC was expected to sweep the poll, as it did in the first post-apartheid election in 1994 and the two others since.
Parliament elects South Africa's president and an ANC-controlled assembly was expected to anoint Zuma in May.
The ANC views Zuma as the first leader who can energise voters since the legendary Nelson Mandela.
But critics say Zuma is too beholden to unions and leftists and won't be able to fulfill promises of creating jobs and a stronger social safety net amid the global recession.
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