The African National Congress party has lost its parliamentary majority in an historic election result that places South Africa on a new political path for the first time since the dismantling of the apartheid system of white minority rule 30 years ago.

With over 99% of the votes counted Saturday, the once-dominant ANC had received a little over 40% of votes cast Wednesday, short of the majority it had held since the famed all-race vote of 1994 that saw the apartheid and brought the party to power under Nelson Mandela.

The final results are yet to be formally declared by the independent electoral commission that ran the election.