South Africa's ANC Faces Coalition Decisions After Losing Majority

After losing its majority in the recent general election, South Africa's ruling party, the ANC, must now navigate coalition discussions to retain power. The decline in ANC support has led to a period of uncertainty in governance and raised questions about addressing the country's economic and social issues.

South Africa's ANC Faces Coalition Decisions After Losing Majority

The African National Congress (ANC), South Africa’s ruling party, lost its electoral majority for the first time in 30 years in the recent general election. The ANC's vote share fell from 57.5% in 2019 to 40.2%, securing only 159 seats in the 400-seat parliament. This dramatic decline has been attributed to chronic unemployment, frequent power cuts, and decaying public services, among other issues.

The ANC's loss extends to three key provinces: Northern Cape, Gauteng, and KwaZulu-Natal. In KwaZulu-Natal, the new party uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), founded by former president Jacob Zuma, won 14.6% of the national vote and became the largest party in the province.

Current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who leads the ANC, acknowledged the election results, emphasizing the need for all political parties to collaborate and respect the democratic process.

The ANC is now in talks to form a coalition government to retain power. Among potential partners are the Democratic Alliance (DA), which won 87 seats, and the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), which gained 17 seats. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), with 39 seats, and MK with 58 seats, are also contenders in coalition deliberations, though significant ideological differences exist among these groups.

The decline of ANC support has ushered in a period of coalition governance, which could lead to political and policy uncertainty, according to rating agencies. The effectiveness of the coalition government in addressing South Africa's economic and social challenges remains to be seen.