South Africa Enters Uncharted Territory with Coalition Talks After Election

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Official results confirmed on Sunday (June 2) that no party won a majority in South Africa's election, setting the stage for unprecedented coalition talks. With 58.6% of voters casting a ballot in the parliamentary poll, the African National Congress (ANC) secured just over 40% of the vote.

This outcome leaves the center-left ANC facing a critical decision on whether to form a coalition with the centrist opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA). "A real national executive committee crunch point for both the ANC and the Democratic Alliance," said Professor Patrick Bond, a political analyst from the University of Johannesburg.

"Will it be to both of their advantage to combine with a solid 62 percent of the vote or would the ANC rather just scrape by at about 50 with a combination of small parties, possibly one of them the fourth party, the Economic Freedom Fighters, or even reaching out to Jacob Zuma and saying, come back and we'll give you deputy president and your honor will be restored."

In the election, the ANC won 159 seats in the 400-seat Parliament, a significant drop from the 230 seats it held previously. The DA, meanwhile, slightly increased its representation to 87 seats. There are now four major political parties, with a total of eight parties holding significant shares of the vote after last week's election.

President Cyril Ramaphosa, seeking a second term, called on South Africa's political parties to overcome their differences and find "common ground" to form the country's first national coalition government. Despite the electoral setback, Ramaphosa can count on the firm support of his group.

"We know Cyril's leadership, and I think there's a lot of certainty in Cyril's leadership," said Peter Baur, a political economist at the University of Johannesburg. "We understand the way in which the policies have been created and I think also Cyril will probably be more likely to collaborate with other parties and allow for this inter-party mix."

There is some urgency for coalition talks to progress and for uncertainty to be minimized, as the new Parliament needs to sit for the first time and elect a president within 14 days of the election results being declared. This tight timeline adds pressure on the parties to quickly find a workable coalition arrangement.

The ANC's dilemma is whether to form a stable coalition with the DA, potentially providing a solid 62% of the vote, or to scrape by with around 50% through alliances with smaller parties, including the possibility of involving the Economic Freedom Fighters or reaching out to former President Jacob Zuma.

As the coalition talks begin, South Africa faces a historic moment that will shape the future of its young democracy. The outcome will determine how the nation navigates its complex political landscape and addresses the pressing socio-economic challenges that remain.