South African Coalition? Ramaphosa’s ANC vs Opposition, After Election Result

For the first time since Mandela, no party in South Africa got a full majority to form the government. In the days ahead after the announcement of the final results in the May 29 election, which saw the ANC’s 30-year majority rule slashed to 40%, all the main opposition parties ruled out a coalition partnership that would allow it to form a government. But to run a government in a democratic regime, one needs to have a full majority, so we are expecting a coalition to be formed. But will this political wooing between parties last long?

Under South African law, candidates for president are nominated by members of parliament. If only one candidate is nominated, he or she is then elected. However, in the case of multiple candidates, lawmakers cast secret ballots with a candidate requiring support from a majority of members to be declared president. ANC received 40.2% of the votes, which is 17 percent lower than the last election where they got 57.5% of the votes in 2019. It holds only 159 out of 400 seats in the National Assembly. The center-right Democratic Alliance (DA) trailed in second place with 21.8 percent of the votes (87 seats). Zuma’s MK gained 14.6 percent of the votes (58 seats), becoming the third-biggest party in the National Assembly.

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress [ANC] has time till 14th June to forge its new political alliance, as the first session of the new parliament is going to be held on 14 June. All know about the political rivalry between President Cyril Ramaphosa and former President Jacob Zuma who was forced to resign from the president post in the past because of corruption allegations. Ramaphosa was his deputy when he resigned, but after his resignation, Ramaphosa took over the president post as well as the party. Then afterward Jacob Zuma announced his departure from ANC on 16 December 2023 and made his new party uMkhonto we Sizwe [MK] named after the apartheid-era military wing of ANC. But here the question arises again, who will be the president, whether Ramaphosa or someone from the Democratic Alliance [DA] whose major vote comes from white minorities or will it be Jacob Zuma himself? No one knows till now.

The opposition will say things like President Ramaphosa must leave first. The government will say things like it would rather be in opposition than ally with the white-party DA, extremist EFF, or corruption-tainted MK of Jacob Zuma. All of it is nothing but setting the price. There is a possibility that ANC may begin talks with the DA and possibly IFP in order to force MK and EFF to soften their hardline policies and demands. But again, what if opposition parties refuse to make a coalition with the ANC, another election? Let’s take time and see what happens in South Africa and who will form the next government.

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Kumar Tushar SinghFreelance Journalist

Kumar Tushar Singh is a skilled content writer with a robust background in finance and a deep understanding of political affairs. Having served as a content writer intern at a notable NGO, Kumar has honed his ability to create insightful and impactful content. His financial expertise, combined with strong research skills, enables him to produce well-informed financial articles and reports. Kumar's dedication to excellence and his versatile writing capabilities make him a valuable asset in any content creation role.

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