Johannesburg: South Africa’s ruling ANC party said on Sunday it would hold talks with other parties to form a new government after three years of losing its absolute majority.
With 99.91 percent of the vote in Wednesday’s election, African National Congress President Cyril Ramaphosa got only 40.2 percent, down significantly from the 57.5 he won in 2019.
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said at a press conference: “The ANC aims to build a government that reflects the will of the people, is stable and can govern effectively.”
The party must negotiate with a coalition government or at least get others to agree to form a minority government to support Ramaphosa’s re-election to parliament.
Mbalula said the ANC would hold talks with internal groups and others “in the coming days”.
This is a historic turning point for South Africa, as the party has won a majority since 1994 when freedom hero Nelson Mandela led the people from white minority rule to democracy.
S.Africa’s ANC to start coalition talks after bruising vote
