South Africa’s African National Congress Announces Broad Coalition Agreement to Form Government
The African National Congress (ANC) party of South Africa disclosed on Thursday that it has reached a broad agreement with the main opposition and other parties to establish a coalition government.
This move aims to break a political deadlock following the African National Congress’s loss of its 30-year majority in the recent election.
This announcement emerged on the eve of South Africa’s new Parliament’s inaugural session, during which lawmakers are set to elect a president.
Given the African National Congress’s diminished parliamentary majority, assistance from other parties is essential for the re-election of President Cyril Ramaphosa for a second and final term.
The African National Congress Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, informed reporters that the main opposition Democratic Alliance and other parties had concurred on the “fundamental” principle of forming a “government of national unity” alongside the African National Congress. However, finer details of the agreement are yet to be finalized.
Mbalula hailed this development as a significant breakthrough, emphasizing that while the framework of the agreement is expected to be disclosed on Friday, the initial consensus marks a crucial step forward.
With the looming deadline for Parliament’s first sitting and the constitutional mandate to elect a president within 14 days of the official declaration of election results, negotiations faced time constraints.
The deadline for this process is Sunday, prompting Parliament to convene on Friday to adhere to the constitutional requirement.
While Mbalula highlighted the participation of several parties in the unity government agreement, the Democratic Alliance’s involvement holds particular significance due to its stature as the main opposition party.
