JOHANNESBURG, June 2 – President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africa’s political parties to unite for the country’s benefit as final election results confirm the African National Congress (ANC) has lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since coming to power 30 years ago.
The results, announced on Sunday, mark the ANC’s worst electoral performance since the end of apartheid, with support dropping to 40.2% from 57.5% in the 2019 parliamentary vote. The ANC, Africa’s oldest liberation movement once led by Nelson Mandela, now holds 159 seats in the 400-seat National Assembly, down from 230.
The outcome forces the ANC to share power, likely with a major political rival, an unprecedented scenario in South Africa’s post-apartheid history.
“South Africans expect the parties for which they have voted to find common ground, overcome their differences, and act together for the good of everyone. That’s what South Africans have said,” Ramaphosa stated after the electoral commission announced the final results. He hailed the election as a “victory for our democracy.”
Political parties now have two weeks to negotiate a coalition before the new parliament convenes to elect a president, who is still expected to be from the ANC as it remains the largest party.
“This is the time for all of us to put South Africa first,” Ramaphosa emphasized.
Despite the poor showing, ANC officials, speaking earlier on Sunday, expressed humility and reiterated their support for Ramaphosa, dismissing calls for his resignation. Fikile Mbalula, the ANC’s secretary general, acknowledged past mistakes but affirmed the party’s commitment to forming a stable and effective government.
The ANC leadership is set to meet on Tuesday to strategize their next steps. COSATU, South Africa’s largest trade union group and a key ANC ally, also backed Ramaphosa. “What’s key is that a coalition be led by the ANC and President Ramaphosa,” COSATU spokesman Matthew Parks said.
Before Wednesday’s vote, the ANC had dominated every national election since 1994. However, voter frustration over joblessness, inequality, and power outages has eroded its support.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), the main opposition party, received 21.8% of the vote. The newly formed uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), led by former President Jacob Zuma, garnered 14.6%, significantly impacting the ANC’s performance. The far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), led by former ANC youth leader Julius Malema, secured 9.5%.
The prospect of an ANC coalition with either the EFF or MK has alarmed South Africa’s business community and international investors, who favor a partnership with the DA. DA leader John Steenhuisen announced plans to initiate talks with other parties to prevent such an alliance, which he termed a “doomsday coalition.”
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), a conservative Zulu party that won nearly 4% of the vote, was also considering its options and is seen as a potential coalition partner.
Local media reports suggest the DA might be open to a cooperation pact with the ANC, supporting it on key decisions in exchange for significant parliamentary positions, potentially involving the IFP as well.
Political analyst Melanie Verwoerd commented, “I would almost certainly think the ANC wouldn’t just go with the DA. They would most probably go with somebody like the IFP as well just because of the perception that the DA is a very white party.”
