Today, April 27th in 1994, the scourge known as Apartheid (“segregation” in Afrikaans) in South Africa ended with the election of Nelson Mandela as president when 20,000,000 South Africans cast their votes. People waited patiently for many hours to vote. An extra day was added to give everyone the chance. International observers agreed that the elections were free and fair.
The African National Congress (ANC) won 62.65% of the vote and 252 of the 400 seats. The National Party (NP) captured most of the White and Colored votes and became the official opposition party. On 10 May 1994, Mandela was sworn in as the new President of South Africa. The anniversary of the April 27th elections is celebrated as a public holiday known as Freedom Day.