WIREDGOV

EXPERT COMMENT

The ANC is creaking at the seams and wounded by the success of Jacob Zuma’s MK. Alliance with the DA may be tricky to sell to party members.

As expected, the African National Congress (ANC) has lost its electoral dominance in South Africa after 30 years. Its vote share dropped from 57.5 per cent in 2019 to 39.7 per cent, and it now holds only 159 seats out of 400 in the national assembly, a fall of 71. But it is still the largest party and the biggest political force in the country.

Parliament must sit within the next two weeks to elect a president, who will then form a cabinet. The ANC’s challenge now is to form a government with another party, either in a formal coalition or through a confidence and supply agreement. Such arrangements, though relatively common in European politics, are very new in South Africa, and the people negotiating have no experience.

These new dynamics could shatter established political fault lines in South Africa, fundamentally changing internal party dynamics. It is a realignment that might force a new environment of negotiation and consensus building in South African politics. Alternatively, it could create serious disruption and dysfunction.

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.