The ANC admits its huge election loss. It promises a coalition that will bring reforms. But with whom?
The political frustration of South Africans is clearly reflected in the result of the parliamentary elections. For the first time in 30 years, the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), has lost its absolute majority, as has now been officially confirmed. However, forming a coalition government will not be easy. At the same time, concerns about political instability are growing.
The ANC secured 159 of the 400 seats in the parliamentary elections, as the electoral authority announced in the final results. The result means a massive loss of power for the party of former anti-apartheid fighter Nelson Mandela: it now has 71 fewer seats. It is the first time in the country’s democratic history that the ANC will no longer govern the continent’s strongest economy alone.
“Our people have spoken, whether we like it or not,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa after the final results were announced. The decision must be respected. The chairman of the electoral authority, Mosotho Moepya, called the election result a “key moment” for the country.
ANC wants to form coalition
“There is nothing to celebrate,” ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said at a press conference. “The results send a clear message. We want to assure the people of South Africa that we have heard them. We have heard their concerns, their frustrations and their dissatisfaction.”
The ANC, which received the most votes despite the heavy losses, now wants to form a stable and effective government to implement fundamental economic and social reforms, said the Secretary General. In the coming days, the party will hold coalition talks with the parties that could push forward such an agenda. Mbalula did not say which coalition partners would be possible.
Time is tight: within 14 days, the 400 newly elected parliamentarians must form a government and elect a president.
One possible coalition partner is the economically liberal Democratic Alliance (DA), which has 87 seats in parliament and is thus the second strongest party. It is followed by a political newcomer: the uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, founded just six months ago by former President Jacob Zuma, which received 58 seats. The Marxist-influenced Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, which advocates large-scale expropriation without compensation and nationalization and is led by the former chairman of the ANC youth association, Julius Malema, secured 39 seats.
Analysts: Result due to weak governance
Mbalula dismissed rumours that Ramaphosa would resign because of the poor election results. “We knew we were in trouble – it’s not that we didn’t know. We fought very hard,” said Mbalula.
According to political commentators, the ANC’s significant loss of power is due to weak governance. The country of 61 million inhabitants has been suffering for years from an ailing economy, mass unemployment, deep-seated corruption, ailing state-owned companies and a crumbling health and education sector. During his time as president from 2009 to 2018, Zuma and his government systematically undermined the state through embezzlement and nepotism. Despite many promises, Zuma’s successor Ramaphosa was unable to put an end to this.
What role will newly empowered Zuma play?
As surprising as it may sound, the ANC lost many votes to the MK, according to analysts. Zuma, who is sometimes called the “Donald Trump of South Africa”, is a popular politician despite numerous corruption allegations and ongoing court cases against him, especially in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal. There, the newly formed MK narrowly missed an absolute majority at the provincial level with 45.91 percent of the vote.
A newly empowered Zuma presented himself to the media in the economic metropolis of Johannesburg on Saturday evening and called for a “rerun of the election” due to “very, very serious” election manipulation, but did not substantiate the allegations.
The ANC, political commentators and local media interpreted Zuma’s statement as a threat. The 82-year-old is considered a populist and troublemaker who can mobilize large crowds within a short period of time. After Zuma was sentenced to 15 months in prison for contempt of justice in 2021, violent protests, looting and destruction of infrastructure broke out in South Africa, leaving more than 300 people dead.
Mbalula called on South Africans to respect the basic rules of democratic elections and to “resist the efforts of those forces (…) that seek to undermine our electoral processes.” The ANC will not tolerate any threat to democracy. “We will work together against those who threaten violence and instability,” said Mbalula.
Germany and Europe observe developments
Which parties will form the first coalition government in South Africa’s history is also relevant for Germany and Europe. Despite its struggling economy, South Africa is the continent’s strongest economy. Politically and economically, it is considered the “gateway to Africa”, a country with access to a continent that is becoming increasingly important internationally due to its raw material reserves needed for the energy transition. South Africa is also the only African member of the group of major economies (G20).
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
