South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged a tough election outcome for his African National Congress (ANC) party, as they lost their majority for the first time since the end of apartheid 30 years ago.
In the recent elections, the ANC secured 159 seats in the 400-seat parliament, a significant drop from the 230 seats they held previously.
Despite the electoral setback, Ramaphosa described the results as a win for democracy and urged rival parties to seek common ground as coalition talks loom large. The Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in parliament with 87 seats, has expressed openness to coalition discussions with Ramaphosa, although they oppose some of the ANC’s key policies.
With the ANC’s vote share plummeting to 40%, down from 58% in the previous election, analysts believe the party will need to form a coalition government. Ramaphosa emphasized the importance of respecting the voters’ wishes and finding agreement among the political parties.
Former president Jacob Zuma, leading the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party which secured 58 seats, indicated a willingness to collaborate with the ANC but not under Ramaphosa’s leadership. Zuma’s absence from the results announcement stirred speculation about his intentions, as he called for a rerun of the elections and an independent investigation into alleged fraud.
The election results also highlighted local concerns in KwaZulu-Natal, where the MK party garnered substantial support, potentially due to issues like acute water shortages that had not been adequately addressed by the ANC. In Trenance Park, residents have been grappling with a lack of tap water for 10 months, relying on irregular water tank deliveries.
