South Africa’s ANC Party Faces Potential Loss of Majority After 30 Years
In a surprising turn of events, early results from South Africa’s election indicate that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party may lose its majority for the first time in three decades.
With only 13% of polling stations reporting at 10 a.m. local time, support for the ANC was at 42.5%. The official opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), had 26% of the vote, while the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – a splinter party of the ANC – had 8.4%, according to data from the country’s electoral commission.
The respected research group CSIR projected that the ANC may win less than 45% of the national poll as of mid-morning on Thursday.
Officials from the Independent Electoral Commission have emphasized that the official tally could take several days, especially with larger voting wards requiring more time to be counted.
Historically, results from rural areas – where the ANC has strong support – have been reported later, potentially boosting the party’s overall results.
If the ANC falls below the 50% mark once all votes are counted, it will be compelled to form a coalition with other parties. Depending on the extent of its decline, the ANC may need to negotiate a deal with major opposition parties like the DA or EFF to retain power.
Another ANC splinter group, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK), led by former President Jacob Zuma, appears to be gaining ground in KwaZulu-Natal, with 42.3% of the votes compared to the ANC’s 20.1% at 10 a.m. local time.
Zuma, a vocal critic of current ANC leader and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, was forced to step down in 2018 and served a brief jail term in 2021 for contempt of court. Despite being barred from running for parliament last week, his name remained on the ballot.
By law, South Africa’s electoral commission has seven days to announce the final results, with this year’s deadline set for Sunday, June 2. If the ANC loses its majority, it will have 14 days to form a new government before a new parliament must convene to elect the nation’s president. — CNN
