Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen correspondent: The US vetoed a UNSC resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing it does not condemn Hamas nor grant "Israel" the right to “self-defense.”
Israeli occupation forces issue a new bombing threat against civilian buildings in the Southern Lebanese towns of Borj Qalaouiye and Chehabiyeh.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Extending the snapback mechanism deadline will test how independent Europeans truly are from the US.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Activating the snapback mechanism will nullify the Cairo Agreement, shut the door on cooperation between the IAEA and Tehran, and bar inspections.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: The diplomatic window remains open, but signs of activating the snapback sanctions mechanism on Iran are increasing.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Although the Cairo Agreement meets an important part of European demands, they have begun speaking of new conditions in recent communications.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: European countries show no independence in their stance toward Iran during the talks.
Israeli occupation forces issued bombing threats to bomb civilian buildings in Southern Lebanon.
Israeli media: Person behind shooting operation at Allenby Crossing is a Jordanian Army soldier.
Israeli media citing Emergency Services: Both wounded in Allenby shooting operation now dead.

South Africa's ANC loses majority, seeks coalition

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 1 Jun 2024 16:03
  • 2 Shares
4 Min Read

President Cyril Ramaphosa must choose allies from the right or left to stay in power.

Listen
  • x
  • A woman walks past election posters in Tembisa, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, May 28, 2024, ahead of the elections on Wednesday May 29. (AP)
    A woman walks past election posters in Tembisa, east of Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday, May 28, 2024, ahead of the elections on May 29. (AP)

South Africa's ruling ANC awaited the imminent confirmation on Saturday that it had lost its three-decade-old absolute majority and would need to find allies to stay in power.

With more than 98 percent of the votes from Wednesday's election counted, President Cyril Ramaphosa's African National Congress had only 40.15 percent support, a decline from the 57.5 percent it secured in 2019. This marks a historic turning point for South Africa, as the party has enjoyed an absolute majority since 1994 when liberation leader Nelson Mandela led the nation into democratic rule. 

"We have been talking with everybody even before the election," ANC's deputy secretary general Nomvula Mokonyane told AFP on Friday, saying the party's decision-making body would set the course to follow after final results are announced. 

"Anything must be based on principles and not an act of desperation." 

Final results to be announced on Sunday

As votes continued to be validated, data from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) showed that the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA) held second place with 21.71 percent, a slight increase from its 20.77 percent in 2019. However, it was not a surge by the DA that cut into the ANC's vote share. 

Related News

Africa leads world tourism growth in early 2025, UN reports

Palestinian conditions worse than South African apartheid: Mandela

In third place was former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) with 12.6 percent, a surprising result for a party founded just months ago as a vehicle for the former ANC chief.

The radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) was in fourth with 9.4 percent. 

The final results were set to be formally announced on Sunday, but the IEC results website was being updated throughout the day. With the outcome no longer in doubt, politicians were now focusing on the prospects of an ANC-led coalition.

South Africans began casting their votes on May 29 for the country's general election, expected to push away the African National Congress (ANC) from a three-decade-long majority rule run. 

President Cyril Ramaphosa's ANC faced fierce competition from parties on the right and left, as the country grapples with high rates of unemployment and crime. 

With more than 27 million voters registered for today's election, the left, led by Julius Malema's Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and former President Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK Party), is expected to gain a share of ANC's seats in the parliament. 

DA holds 'different ideals'

The ANC has held a firm grip on South Africa's democracy, boasting an uninterrupted succession of five presidents from the party. However, for President Cyril Ramaphosa to stay in power, he must now weigh the decision of aligning with allies either on his right or left.
 
There will likely be resistance within his movement to forming an alliance with the second-placed DA, led by white politician John Steenhuisen. The DA's free-market agenda, advocating privatizations and an end to black economic empowerment programs, contradicts the traditions of the ruling party.

Mandela's grandson, Mandla Mandela, an outgoing ANC lawmaker, told AFP that the DA held "different ideals," making it too difficult to consider partnering with them.
 
He suggested that the radical left groups led by former ANC figures, such as firebrand Julius Malema's EFF or Zuma's MK, were more likely to be potential allies. However, these options might also meet resistance within the more moderate sections of the ANC. 

  • South Africa
  • ANC
  • Cyril Ramaphosa

Most Read

Why is Choose Love using a firm with British and US intelligence connections to run a pro-Palestine musical event? (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Together for Palestine: Troubling questions about the organisers of this huge event

  • Opinion
  • 17 Sep 2025
Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza.

Uprising against Volker Turk at the Human Rights Council over Gaza

  • Politics
  • 12 Sep 2025
Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

Lapid: Egypt’s Arab Force plan a 'severe blow' to normalization

  • Palestine
  • 14 Sep 2025
An Israeli tank explodes following an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Occupied Palestine, undated (Al-Qassam Military Media)

12 Israeli soldiers killed, wounded in Resistance operation in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 18 Sep 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A Hezbollah supporter who lost his sight in a pager attack carried out by "Israel" on Sept. 17, 2024, covers his eyes with a red headband inscribed with the name "Hussein" during Ashoura, July 6, 2025 (AP)
Politics

'We Have Recovered': Lebanon marks 1st anniversary of Pager Attack

The Arab neighborhood of El Za'im, on the outskirts of east Occupied Al-Quds in the West Bank, near where Israeli government says housing units will be built as part of the E1 settlement project, Thursday, August 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Palestine

'Israel’s' deliberate policies drive West Bank economy toward collapse

Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Politics

Ben & Jerry’s co-founder resigns over parent company curbing activism

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll
US & Canada

Trump’s approval rating falls to new low in second term: Poll

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS