South Africa has embarked on a new political path after the African National Congress (ANC) lost its parliamentary majority in the historic election held on Saturday. With nearly 99% of the votes counted, the ANC secured just over 40% of the votes, significantly lower than the majority it has maintained since the landmark 1994 elections that ended apartheid and brought Nelson Mandela to power.
The results are yet to be officially declared by the independent electoral commission that oversaw the election. While opposition parties hailed the outcome as a pivotal moment for a country grappling with deep poverty and inequality, the ANC will now face the challenge of finding coalition partners to retain its position in government and ensure the reelection of President Cyril Ramaphosa for a second and final term.
Parliament elects the South African president following national elections. The outcome of this election marks the end of the ANC’s three-decade dominance in South Africa’s young democracy. However, the path forward remains uncertain for Africa’s most advanced economy. The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), stands at around 21%. The new MK Party, led by former President Jacob Zuma, who has turned against the ANC he once led, came third with just over 14% of the votes in its first election.
Given the ANC’s significant departure from a majority, it is likely that it will need to approach one of the three main opposition parties to co-govern. The MK and the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters have both advocated for the nationalization of parts of the economy. On the other hand, the centrist Democratic Alliance is seen as a business-friendly party, and analysts suggest that an ANC-DA coalition could be more favorable to foreign investors.
Despite the prevailing uncertainty, South African opposition parties have welcomed this new political landscape as a much-needed change for a nation of 62 million people. South Africa remains Africa’s most developed country but also one of the most unequal in the world, with extremely high levels of unemployment. The ANC has faced criticism for its failure to improve living standards for millions, particularly within the Black community, which constitutes 80% of the population and has been the ANC’s primary support base for years. Voters have also expressed dissatisfaction with the ANC’s handling of basic government services, which has left many without access to water, electricity, or adequate housing.
‘We have been advocating for the last 30 years that breaking the ANC’s majority is the way to save South Africa, and we have achieved that,’ said John Steenhuisen, leader of the Democratic Alliance.
Nearly 28 million South Africans registered to vote, and the turnout is expected to be around 60%, according to figures provided by the independent electoral commission responsible for conducting the election.
