Southern Africa makes headlines. - Substantial power loss for Mandela's political party following the election.
In South Africa, for the very first time in the nation's history, a coalition government is about to take shape following the parliamentary elections. Based on the information provided by the National Electoral Commission (IEC), the African National Congress (ANC) received 41.37% of the votes, indicating a considerable loss in power. They only got 57.5% of the votes during the 2019 parliamentary elections.
The former party led by anti-apartheid advocate Nelson Mandela, if it ends up falling short of the 50% mark, which appears to be imminent, will need to form a coalition. Since the inception of democracy in 1994, the ANC has always won an absolute majority and single-handedly governed Africa's most powerful economy.
The economically liberal Democratic Alliance (DA) secured 22.16% in the preliminary results, while the party founded by former President Jacob Zuma only six months ago, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), stands at 13.06%. The Marxist-oriented Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is not far behind with 9.41%.
ANC poised to lose majority in key provinces
The ANC is supposed to lose the complete majority in the nation's most potent province - Gauteng, where the capital Pretoria and economic superpower Johannesburg are situated. The ANC might also slip below 50% in KwaZulu-Natal, known as Zuma's hometown. The Western Cape, Africa's second strongest province, which houses Cape Town and has been governed by the DA, is predicted to retain an absolute majority according to the initial results.
52 different parties fought for the 400 seats in the National Parliament on May 29. Following the declaration of the results, the recently elected parliament must come together and establish a government within 14 days, electing a new president. Provincial governments were also voted on.
Reasons for the anticipated historical loss of the ANC's power in South Africa
This potentially earth-shattering loss of power by the ANC in South Africa, populated by 61 million people at the southernmost corner of the continent, is being linked to a dismal governance record: a faltering economy, widespread joblessness, deteriorating state-owned enterprises, routine power outages, and sky-high crime and corruption.
The election results are significant not only for South Africa but also for Germany and the rest of Europe. South Africa is viewed as a crucial gateway to Africa because of its growing significance in terms of resources vital for the energy transition. Despite its connection with Western countries, the government is closely aligned with Russia and China. The government also assumed a strong pro-Palestinian stance in the Gaza War, subsequently filing a lawsuit against Israel with the International Court of Justice for committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.
