In the parliamentary elections in South Africa, the ruling ANC party lost its absolute majority for the first time. As the electoral commission announced on Sunday evening, the ANC won 159 of the 400 seats. The party will probably have to do something completely unusual for it: negotiate.
The largest opposition party, the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA), became the second strongest party, winning 87 seats. Former President Jacob Zuma’s newly founded MK party came third, but he boycotted the announcement of the election results.
The ANC under incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa will now likely look for a coalition government. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula had previously said the party wanted to start talks with other parties to form such a government. The ANC wants a government “that reflects the will of the people, is stable and can govern effectively”.
Minority government conceivable
An ANC minority government would also be conceivable. In the coming weeks, in June, parliamentarians will have to elect the next president of Africa’s second-largest industrial nation. Ramaphosa is seeking a second term in office. All polls predicted the loss of the absolute majority for the ANC. The party of South African national hero Nelson Mandela has seen a decline in confidence among the population for years.
A series of corruption scandals under the leadership of the ANC, high unemployment, the weak economy, high crime rates and constant power outages, among other things, caused many South Africans to turn away from the ruling party. In Wednesday’s parliamentary elections, some 27.6 million registered voters were called to vote on the composition of Cape Town’s 400-member parliament. Voter turnout in the elections was 58.6 percent, well below the 66 percent in 2019.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
