▁Meyer ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁Party . ▁In ▁over ▁ 4 0 ▁sessions ▁the ▁two ▁men ▁discussed ▁and ▁negoti ated ▁over ▁many ▁issues ▁including ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁future ▁political ▁system , ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁over ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁government ▁employees ▁and ▁if / how ▁the ▁country ▁would ▁be ▁divided . ▁The ▁result ▁of ▁these ▁negoti ations ▁was ▁an ▁inter im ▁constitution ▁that ▁meant ▁the ▁transition ▁from ▁apart heid ▁to ▁dem ocracy ▁was ▁a ▁constitution al ▁continu ation ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁rule ▁of ▁law ▁and ▁state ▁so vere ig nt y ▁remained ▁int act ▁during ▁the ▁transition , ▁which ▁was ▁vital ▁for ▁stability ▁within ▁the ▁country . ▁A ▁date ▁was ▁set ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁dem ocr atic ▁elections ▁on ▁ 2 7 ▁April ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁The ▁AN C ▁won ▁ 6 2 . 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁votes ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁in ▁power ▁ever ▁since . ▁ ▁Crit ic ism ▁and ▁controvers y ▁ ▁Cor ruption ▁controvers ies ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁prominent ▁cor ruption ▁case ▁involving ▁the ▁AN C ▁rel ates ▁to ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁b rib es ▁paid ▁to ▁companies ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁on going ▁R 5 5 ▁billion ▁Ar ms ▁De al ▁s aga , ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁long ▁term ▁j ail ▁sentence ▁to ▁then ▁Deput y ▁President ▁Jacob ▁Z uma ' s ▁legal ▁advis er ▁Sch ab ir ▁Sh a ik . ▁Z uma , ▁the ▁former ▁South ▁African ▁President , ▁was ▁charged ▁with ▁fra ud , ▁b ri ber y ▁and