Partial returns from South Africa's local elections show the ruling African National Congress sweeping toward a large victory.
The latest results late Thursday put the ANC's tally at about 67 percent. Its closest rival, the Democratic Alliance, had about 15 percent of the vote.
However, the tally showed the Democratic Alliance leading the ANC by a small margin in the southwestern city of Capetown.
Overall voter turnout was reported to be about 48 percent, slightly lower than in the 2000 local elections.
Analysts say voters have been angry with the ANC for not providing basic services to many residents. This election was widely seen as a test of voters' loyalty to the party that brought down apartheid.
The vote was peaceful except in the township of Khutsong near Johannesburg, where residents clashed with police and boycotted the poll to protest a change in districting.
Electoral officials say most of the results should be posted by the end of the day.
Some information for this report was provided by AP .