The African National Congress (ANC) declares discussions for forming a coalition after its loss in the South African parliamentary elections.
In the upcoming days, the party will engage in internal deliberations and conversations with others, stated Mbalula. The electorate has made it evident that they want the nation's leaders to collaborate in order to benefit everyone.
After calculating 99.91% of the votes, the incumbent President Cyril Ramaphosa's ANC party received 40.2% of them. This marks a loss of the absolute majority for the ANC. In 2019, the party managed to secure 57.5% of the votes.
Many anticipate that the party of the anti-apartheid icon and former President Nelson Mandela, the ANC, will now attempt to create a coalition or minority government. The new president of Africa's second-largest industrial power must be chosen by the MPs in June.
The largest rival party, the center-right DA, garnered 21.8% of the voters' support, according to the data provided by the national election commission. The party founded by former President Jacob Zuma had 14.6% of the votes, following close behind. The relatively new MK and the left-leaning EFF followed with 9.5% and 9.5% of the votes, respectively.
South Africans, totaling around 27.6 million registered voters, were asked on Wednesday to decide on their parliament's composition. The voter turnout was lower than 2019, at only 58.6%.
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Following its election defeat, the African National Congress (ANC) led by President Cyril Ramaphosa has initiated coalition talks. The electoral results indicated a decline in the ANC's support, with only 40.2% of the votes, a significant drop from the 57.5% they secured in 2019. This parliamentary election defeat has prompted the ANC to explore the possibility of forming a coalition or minority government, as they no longer hold an absolute majority. This shift in political dynamics in South Africa will likely influence the composition of the country's parliament and the selection of the new president by the MPs, which is scheduled for June.