South Africa’s ANC on course to lose majority

South Africa’s ANC on course to lose majority

South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC), is poised to lose its parliamentary majority for the first time in 30 years, according to partial results from Wednesday’s parliamentary election. With over 50% of voting districts counted, the ANC leads with 42% of the vote, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 23%, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party of former President Jacob Zuma with nearly 11%, and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with nearly 10%.

Final results are expected over the weekend. The election results system crashed on Friday morning, showing zero results on poll screens. The South African Electoral Commission has apologised for the issue and said it is working to restore the service.

The ANC is being blamed for high levels of corruption, crime, and unemployment. Projections from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and News24 indicate the ANC’s final vote share will be around 42%, a significant decline from the 57% it secured in the 2019 election. This decline would necessitate a coalition with other parties to form a majority in parliament.

The DA supports liberal economic policies, while the EFF and MK advocate for more state intervention and nationalisation, suggesting that the choice of coalition partner, will significantly impact South Africa’s future direction. It is uncertain if President Cyril Ramaphosa will retain power; he may face pressure to resign if the ANC’s final vote share falls below 45%. Professor William Gumede, chairman of the Democracy Works Foundation, suggested that the ANC might scapegoat Ramaphosa, potentially replacing him with Deputy President Paul Mashatile. Both the EFF and MK are also likely to demand his resignation before agreeing to any coalition with the ANC.

South Africans do not directly vote for a president; instead, they vote for members of parliament who then elect the president.