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South Africa’s African National Congress said on Thursday it would invite the country’s other political parties to the negotiating table to try to form a national unity government.
The move follows last week’s landmark election in which Nelson Mandela’s liberation party took power. South Africa since the end of apartheid 30 years ago, has lost its parliamentary majority.
After an 11-hour special meeting of the ANC’s top decision-making body, the national executive committee, party and country president Cyril Ramaphosa said the decision was reached to “invite political parties to form government of national unity to move our country forward.” ”.
Ramaphosa was referring to Mandela’s first democratic government, formed in 1994, which included the defeated National Party as well as the Inkatha Freedom party.
“In forming a government of national unity, we will draw on the experience that South Africans are familiar with and that has served our country well at a very difficult time,” he said. ”.
The FACILITATE won 40.2% of the vote in last week’s parliamentary election. Ramaphosa said the ANC had held preliminary talks with several parties, including the Democratic Alliance, which had 21.8% of the vote; The Economic Freedom Fighters, led by Julius Malema, won 9.5%; and the Inkatha Freedom Party, 3.8%.
“We have ideological and political differences with some parties in our political landscape, however, we will not rule out cooperation with any party as long as That benefits the public.”
Political analysts have warned that consensus on a national unity government is unlikely because the DA has set a clear “red line”. They said they would not join any government including the EFF or Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party. The EFF has called for the nationalization of the country’s central bank and mines.
Peter Attard Montalto, chief executive of financial consultancy Krutham, said if the DA stands apart from a unity government, financial markets will be severely affected.
Attard Montalto said Ramaphosa’s preference for a unity government was an attempt to foster a “national dialogue to help make decisions that his party cannot make”. He added if the DA remains firm in its decision not to cooperate with any government with the EFF, “we could be stuck with a not very good outcome”.
The ANC has considered other options, including a looser “supply and confidence” agreement with the DA and IFP, but has faced fierce opposition from some ANC members, as well as coalition partners. its alliance, the Congress of Trade Unions of South Africa and the South. African Communist Party.
MK, the third largest party and led by former president Zuma, previously said it would not enter into any negotiations with the ANC unless Ramaphosa resigned. It won 14.6% of the votes.
However, earlier on Thursday, MK said in a statement on X that it had “commitments” to the ANC regarding a coalition. Zuma’s party also said it intended to hold a follow-up meeting with the ANC where it would “hear the views presented with an open mind”.
