South Africa however once powerful African National Congress accepted on Sunday to have been humbled by an that ended its 30-year majority but vowed not to change President Cyril Ramaphosa as a condition for a governing coalition.
Official outcomes from Wednesday’s election revealed the end of ANC’s stranglehold on political power and started the clock on negotiating with one or more opposition parties.
Political parties now have two weeks to negotiate before a new parliament is formed and chooses a president, probably from the ANC, which still remains the biggest party.
In 2019 parliamentary vote, Voters slashed support for Nelson Mandela’s legacy party from 57.5% in the year to 40%.
According to Official results released on Sunday evening, The ANC won 159 seats in the new parliament of 400 members compared to 230 in the previous assembly.
“Did we commit mistakes? Yes, we did. In governance and everywhere else,” Fikile Mbalula, Secretary General of ANC said during first media briefing held by ANC since elections adding that there was “nothing to celebrate.”
This implies therefore that for ANC to maintain their hold over power it must share this with probably a major political rival – such has never happened since whites’ minority rule ended in1994.
“The ANC is committed to formation of Government informed by people’s will which is stable and able govern effectively”, Mbalula said.
The party would discuss internally and with other parties so as “to establish governments both national and provincial that are reflective of our people’s will and capable of advancing our country”, he added
Ramaphosa’s days were numbered due either to demands by possible coalition partner or internal leadership challenge following poor performance of his party at polls.
Mbalula stated other parties should stop demanding president Ramaphosa who was negotiator leading Mandela when white minority regime fell down should resign.
“That is a no-go area,” he said
Ramaphosa also has the backing of COSATU which is South Africa’s biggest trade union and a key ANC ally.
“What’s key is that a coalition be led by the ANC and President Ramaphosa,” said COSATU spokesman Matthew Parks.
‘Doomsday coalition’
ANC had however won every national election since 1994 by a massive majority but its support has been declining over the past decade.
In terms of voting, Democratic Alliance (DA) was third at 21.8%.
ANC’s former military wing, MK (meaning spear of the nation in Zulu), led by ex-president Jacob Zuma won 14.6%, dealing the most blow to ANC.
However, even though MK performed better than expected it said it was considering legal action over these outcomes.
The far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), under former youth leader Julius Malema received 9.5% of mean while Zuma’s new party got 14.6% damaging ANC the most.
South African business community and global investors are wary of possible alliance between ANC and either EFF or MK as they would prefer DA-led coalition.
The party has since then named a team of negotiators to start talks with other parties to prevent such an alliance which he called “doomsday coalition”.
“For the Democratic Alliance, burying our heads in the sand while South Africa faces its greatest threat since the dawn of democracy is not an option,” he said.
This small conservative Zulu party won nearly 4% of the vote in KwaZulu-Natal province and was holding separate meetings on Sunday about its next move.
According to local media reports, DA would consider a cooperation pact with ANC where it supports critical decisions by ANC in return for top parliamentary positions. The IFP could also be among those seen joining this arrangement.
“I would almost certainly think (the ANC) wouldn’t just go with the DA. They would most probably go with somebody like the IFP as well just because of the perception that the DA is a very white party,” said Melanie Verwoerd, a political analyst.
Mbalula said The ruling party’s leader will hold a meeting on Tuesday to discuss what happens next.
