Mbeki dances with his wife at a victory celebration in Midrand, South Africa

ELECTION RESULTS: With 85 percent of polling stations reporting: African National Congress 65.7% Democratic Party 10.2% Inkatha Freedom Party 8.3% The New National Party 7.5% Source: The AP RELATED VIDEOS Go to ANC's victory celebration with CNN's Charlayne Hunter-Gault Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K CNN Johannesburg Bureau Chief Charlayne Hunter-Gault reports that the elections went smoothly Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K  ALSO: Nelson Mandela bids farewell  MESSAGE BOARD: South Africa elections

June 4, 1999
Web posted at: 3:26 p.m. EDT (1926 GMT)

In this story: Who will be in the Cabinet? Mandela still on vacation New National Party defeat significant RELATED STORIES, SITES

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (CNN) -- Thabo Mbeki's ruling African National Congress was hovering on the brink of official victory Friday in South Africa's second democratic election.

Technical glitches were stalling the counting of ballots from voting Wednesday and early Thursday, although there has never been any doubt about an ANC victory.

With the vote count nearly complete, Mbeki had two-thirds of the more than 16 million votes cast.

But key questions remained unanswered.

Who will be in the Cabinet?

Of greatest interest is whether the ANC will be able to exceed the two-thirds majority vote marker and gain enough power to change the constitution and implement its policies with minimal opposition.

The first public test of Mbeki's political and diplomatic ability will be his choices of Cabinet members, expected to be announced within two weeks.

Among the decisions, anxiously being watched by money markets, will be his expected confirmation of Finance Minister Trevor Manuel.

At a rally Thursday, Mbeki reached out to nervous white South Africans.

"The ANC will approach the exercise of power without any arrogance, with humility, with a deep sense of responsibility, to ensure ... we act together to build a South Africa that truly belongs to all who live in it, both black and white," he said.

Mandela still on vacation

Outgoing President Nelson Mandela, who steps down June 16, remained on vacation Friday, an effort to keep the limelight on Mbeki, his deputy since 1994, when the first democratic elections were held following the end of apartheid.

Mandela swept into office five years ago in South Africa's first-ever all-race election.

International observers hailed Wednesday's elections as free and fair. More than 85 percent of registered voters cast ballots.

Under apartheid, blacks couldn't vote, making many especially determined to cast their ballot. Many people waited in line for hours, even in areas that five years ago were wracked by racial violence.

New National Party defeat significant

A Mbeki supporter cheers his party's victory

For the New National Party, which imposed apartheid in 1948 then dismantled it 50 years later, the election was a disaster.

The party of former president F.W. de Klerk -- which received 20 percent of the vote in 1994 when most whites put their faith in those they knew best -- by Friday had garnered less than 8 percent of the votes, mostly from mixed-race supporters.

"The story of this election is really the NNP's demise. I think it is clear that this may be the end of 50 years of National Party politics," political analyst Vincent Maphia said.

Feisty white lawyer Tony Leon's Democratic Party was a big winner nationally, leading the race for second place with 10.2 percent of the vote Friday to become the ANC's main opposition.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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