South Africa’s MK party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, and other opposition parties have ruled out a coalition deal with the African National Congress (ANC) unless it first removes Cyril Ramaphosa from the presidency.
The ultimatum comes after the ANC suffered its worst electoral performance since the end of apartheid in 1994, winning only 40.18% of the votes in Wednesday’s general election.
This is well short of a parliamentary majority, forcing the once-dominant party to seek coalition partners to form a government.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) emerged as the main opposition, securing 21.81% of votes, while the MK party garnered 14.58% and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) received 9.52%.
Both the DA and EFF have also rejected the possibility of aligning with the ANC as long as Ramaphosa remains the president.
However, Ramaphosa, aged 71, has indicated he will not resign and intends to serve a second term as president after his first stint was marred by corruption allegations and economic struggles.
The impasse has plunged South Africa into political uncertainty, with no party holding a clear majority in the 400-member National Assembly. The ANC, which has governed since the end of white minority rule in 1994, now faces the task of convincing other parties to join a coalition government.
Complicating matters is the record-low voter turnout of 58.64% – the worst in South Africa’s 30-year democratic history – reflecting widespread disillusionment. Voter turnout has dropped from nearly 90% in 1999 to 66% in 2019.
The ANC’s vote share has also declined from a peak of nearly 70% in 2004 to just 57.5% in 2019. This year’s result is its worst yet.
As parties negotiate to build alliances, the opposition’s unwavering stance suggests Ramaphosa’s presidency may be at risk if the ANC hopes to break the deadlock and form a stable coalition.
Of nearly 39,000 South Africans who voted from outside the country, over 75% backed the opposition DA, further denting the ANC’s mandate.
With no single party able to govern alone, constitutional experts warn a prolonged stalemate could undermine South Africa’s democracy and economic stability. The pressure is mounting on the ANC to consider the opposition’s demands or risk plunging the nation into turmoil.
Results by provinces
The ANC managed enough votes to secure more than 50 percent in five out of South Africa’s nine provinces: Limpopo (74 percent), the Eastern Cape (62 percent), North West (59 percent), Free State (53 percent), and Mpumalanga (52 percent).
In the Northern Cape (49 percent) and Gauteng (36 percent), the ANC fell short of a majority and will need to find coalition partners to form the government.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will continue to govern the Western Cape (53 percent), which it has done since 2009.
And in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), former President Jacob Zuma’s MK received the highest number of votes at some 46 percent, ahead of the ANC which managed about 18 percent.
