South Africans are preparing to go to the polls in what is expected to be the most competitive general election since the end of apartheid in 1994.

南非人正在准备自1994年种族隔离之后的最具有竞争性的选举。

This year more voters have registered than ever before

Some 20,000 polling stations are due to open at 0500 GMT for the more than 23 million registered voters.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) is expected to win, but its two-thirds majority is being challenged.

ANC leader Jacob Zuma said the emergence¹ of the opposition² Congress of the People had "re-energised" the ANC.

The ruling party split last year with disaffected³ members forming Cope.

On the eve of the polls, Mr Zuma encouraged supporters to make it the biggest turnout in the country's history.

The Independent Electoral Commission is confident of an 80% turnout at the polls, substantially（实质上，本质上） higher than at the last elections five years ago.

Voter boost

Mr Zuma said there was an energy and excitement about the contest which had not been seen the country's first democratic election 15 years ago.

Many of the new voters are young people who have little memory of the struggle to end white minority rule, which brought the ANC to power.

Analysts⁵ say the emergence of the Congress of the People (Cope) in November last year could have accounted for a boost in the number of registered voters.

But polls have recorded Cope's popularity falling since then.

"As they emerged, people decided⁶ they weren't what they thought," political analyst⁴ Bob Mattes told the BBC.

Cope has fielded a relatively⁷ unknown presidential candidate, former Bishop⁸ Mvume Dandala, who has struggled to make an impact on the public scene, analysts say.

Around 200,000 ANC supporters filled several stadiums on Sunday to see Mr Zuma address them via satellite link from a rally（集会） in Johannesburg's Ellis Park.

A Cope rally in Polokwane Limpopo province attracted around 5,000 supporters.

Voters in South Africa give their views on the most competitive elections since the end of apartheid

'Cultural revolution'

Some say the real battle is between Cope and the official opposition, the Democratic Alliance, for second place.

Neither party has ruled out entering into a coalition⁹（合并，整合） after the election.

An opposition coalition would provide the biggest challenge to the ANC since it was first elected in 1994.

DA leader Helen Zille has said her party wants to deny the ANC a two-thirds majority this time around.

They say the ANC wants to change the constitution to make it harder to prosecute¹⁰ politicians for corruption¹¹.

Mr Zuma, who faced corruption charges until a few weeks before voting, again rejected any suggestion that there remained a cloud of suspicion over him.

"There is no cloud above my head, there is not even a mist," he told journalists in his final press briefing before polls open.

The charges, which related to a government arms deal, were withdrawn¹² by the National Prosecuting¹³ Authority after phone tap recordings¹⁴ of the lead investigator¹⁵ and prosecutor¹⁶ suggested there had been political interference in the prosecution¹⁷.

Political commentator¹⁸ Xolela Mangcu says this is the first time that the country is about to be led by someone not from the educated elite¹⁹ of black society.

"There is a cultural revolution in the ANC," he said.