ANC shaken to core as South African voters look beyond race

By Joe Brock PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa (Reuters) - On the surface, white South African ex-farmer Athol Trollip seems an unlikely candidate for mayor of a metropolitan district named after the ANC's great liberation hero, Nelson Mandela. The results may even mark the start of a new era, distinct from the 'post-apartheid' period that immediately followed the end of white-minority rule, as the African National Congress wakes up to the changed reality that it can no longer rely on the unquestioning support of poor black voters. Angry about corruption, unemployment and shoddy basic services, many ANC supporters have turned to the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) - making a switch that was unthinkable only a few years ago when the party was still seen as the political home of wealthy whites.