99.9% Vote Count 기준 ANC 40.2% Vote Share
Public Sentiment Shifts Due to Economic Hardship
The African National Congress (ANC), which produced former South African President Nelson Mandela, known as the 'Father of Democracy,' has ended its 30-year sole rule after failing to secure a majority in the general election.
Immediately after the election results were confirmed, the ANC announced that it would begin negotiations with other parties to form a coalition government.
According to the South African Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on the 2nd (local time), with 99.91% of the votes counted, the ANC received 40.21% of the vote. This is more than 17 percentage points lower than the previous 2019 general election (57.50%) and is considered a 'crushing defeat,' nearly falling below the 40% threshold.
This is the first time since the end of apartheid (racial segregation policy) in 1994 that the ANC has failed to secure a majority in seven general elections over 30 years.
The main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), came in second with 21.78%, followed by the newly established party Umkhonto We Sizwe (MK), founded by former President Jacob Zuma, with 14.58%.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), previously the second-largest opposition party, fell to fourth place with 9.51%.
Other minor parties such as the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the Patriotic Alliance (PA) recorded vote shares in the 2-3% range.
Failing to secure a majority, the ANC is now forced to form a coalition government for the first time. South Africa allocates 400 parliamentary seats proportionally based on party vote shares, and the president is elected indirectly by a majority vote in parliament.
According to AFP and major foreign media, ANC Secretary-General Panyaza Lesufi stated in his first official comment after the election, "The ANC is doing its best to form a government that reflects the will of the people and can govern stably and effectively."
He added, "The ANC will discuss coalition negotiations internally and with other parties over the coming days."
However, he drew a line regarding the resignation of party leader and current President Cyril Ramaphosa.
He emphasized, "If demands come to us that President Ramaphosa must step down, that will not happen. That is a non-negotiable area."
Earlier, associates of former President Zuma demanded Ramaphosa's resignation as a condition for coalition talks. Zuma was ousted from the presidency and the ANC in 2018 amid various corruption allegations. Ramaphosa, then Vice President, led this effort.
The ANC's failure to secure a majority is attributed to losing public support amid a high unemployment rate of 33%, severe wealth inequality, and shortages of water and electricity. The decisive factor was the withdrawal of support from Zuma's faction, which has a poor relationship with President Ramaphosa.
The British BBC reported that while the ANC's failure to secure a majority was somewhat anticipated, few expected the vote share to fall as low as around 45%.
Secretary-General Lesufi evaluated the election results by saying, "There is nothing to celebrate," and warned, "It shows that if we do not accelerate party reform and postpone many tasks we must undertake as a party, our party will disappear."
Since the ANC's relations with the DA and MK, which ranked second and third in vote share, are not amicable and their policy lines differ, South Africa may face political turmoil over the country's first-ever coalition government formation.
The final results of this general election are scheduled to be announced this evening local time. Within 14 days after the IEC's final announcement, the newly convened parliament will hold its first session to elect the president.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
