VOA标准英语 South Africa Celebrates Freedom Day After Successful

South Africans are celebrating the 15th anniversary of the end of apartheid, as well as the conclusion of successful national elections, which were swept by the ruling African National Congress.
　
A group of traditional clad Zulu women participate in a parade during the South Africa 15th Freedom Day in Durban, 27 Apr 2009

Thousands of South Africans packed a sports stadium in Durban to celebrate Freedom Day, the day 15 years ago when they gave the African National Congress a sweeping¹ victory in the country's first post-apartheid elections.

The ANC also scored a landslide² victory last week in the fourth elections since the end of apartheid. Its leader, Jacob Zuma, is to become South Africa's next president when the new parliament convenes³ on May 6.

ANC officials have declined to comment on the composition of the new cabinet. But Mr. Zuma said in his victory speech Saturday night that good governance will be a major goal.

"The incoming cabinet will be required to turn the public service into efficient, effective and very caring machinery⁴ that will respond effectively to the needs of our people," he said.

Officials say a powerful planning commission is to be formed to oversee⁵ government performance.

Analysts⁶ say Mr. Zuma faces a major challenge in balancing the demands of social-minded groups with the need to reassure⁷ financial markets.

Election officials Saturday announced that the ANC had won nearly 66 percent of the vote nationwide, giving it 264 seats in the 400-seat parliament. But that was three seats short of the two-thirds majority that would have given it the power to amend⁸ the constitution unilaterally.

The opposition⁹ Democratic Alliance received 16 percent of the vote, up four percent from the last elections. And the DA won a majority of the seats in the provincial¹⁰ assembly of Western Cape¹¹.

DA leader Helen Zille, who is expected to head the provincial government, announced she would resign as mayor of Cape Town on Wednesday.

Zille indicated on national television that she would invite other opposition figures to join her administration.

"What I do plan to do is to request talented and able individuals from other opposition parties to join us in government," she said. "That is not strictly¹² speaking a coalition¹³. It is a government of the best individuals."

The Congress of the People, formed four months ago by disgruntled former ANC leaders, won seven percent of the national vote and became the leading opposition party in several provinces.

The success of COPE and the DA came at the expense of smaller parties, like the Inkatha Freedom Party and the Independent Democrats¹⁴, whose support declined in many areas.

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

3 convenes   

召开( convene的第三人称单数 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The Premier convenes and presides over the executive meetings and plenary meetings of the State Council. 总理召集和主持国务院常务会议和国务院全体会议。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法
• Chinese woman tenth the National People Congress convenes grandly today in Beijing. 中国妇女第十次全国代表大会今天在北京隆重召开。

4 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

5 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

6 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

7 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

8 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

9 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

10 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

11 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

12 strictly   

adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地

参考例句：

• His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
• The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。

13 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

14 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》