President Cyril Ramaphosa has described South Africa’s recent election results as a win for democracy, despite his African National Congress (ANC) party losing its majority for the first time.
The ANC, once led by Nelson Mandela, saw its seats in the 400-seat parliament drop from 230 to 159. Although this is the ANC’s worst performance since the end of apartheid 30 years ago, it still has the most seats.
With only 40% of the vote, down from 58% in the last election, the ANC now needs to form a coalition to govern.
Ramaphosa acknowledged the voters’ desire for parties to work together and find common ground. He emphasized that the results show a strong and enduring democracy in South Africa.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party, is open to coalition talks. Former president Jacob Zuma, now leading the MK party that came third, did not attend the results announcement and has called for a rerun, claiming the election was rigged.
Zuma’s party gained significant support in KwaZulu-Natal, where local issues like severe water shortages may have influenced the vote.
Police Minister Bheki Cele warned against any threats to destabilize the country. The ANC’s support has been waning due to widespread corruption, unemployment, and crime.
This summary is based on a report from the BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx99vww50y5o