MIDRAND: South African parties geared up for coalition talks on Friday as the governing African National Congress (ANC) looked set to fall well short of a majority for the first time in 30 years of democracy.

While the party of the late Nelson Mandela looked likely to remain the largest political force after Wednesday’s election, voters appeared to have punished the former liberation movement for years of economic decline which has left many in poverty.

With results in from nearly 70 per cent of polling stations, the ANC had 41.8pc of votes, a precipitous drop from the 57.5pc it secured in the last national election in 2019.

The party and country will now have to enter a period of coalition building unprecedented in the democratic era, with potential partners ranging from the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) to insurgent parties led by former ANC figures who fell out with the party.

Investors in Africa’s most industrialised economy will hope the uncertain picture will quickly become clear.

Among potential coalition partners, the DA was in second place at 22.6 per cent, while uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a new party led by former president Jacob Zuma, was at 12.2pc and eating into ANC support, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, Zuma’s home province.

The MK has overtaken the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), currently the third biggest party in parliament, which was sitting on 9.5pc.

Political parties’ share of the vote will determine the number of seats they get in the National Assembly, which then elects the next president.

That could still be the ANC’s leader, incumbent President Cyril Rama­phosa. However, an embarrassing showing at the polls risks fuelling a leadership challenge — but the ANC’s Deputy Secretary General Nomvula Mokon­yane said he would not resign.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2024