The president of South Africa contends with disappointing election outcomes

President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa has acknowledged that his African National Congress (ANC) party faced a difficult election outcome, losing its majority for the first time since the end of apartheid 30 years ago.

The ANC, formerly led by Nelson Mandela, secured 159 seats in the 400-seat parliament in Wednesday's election, a decrease from the 230 seats won in the previous assembly. Despite this, President Ramaphosa termed the outcome a triumph for democracy and urged rival parties to collaborate, hinting at potential coalition negotiations. The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) expressed willingness to engage in coalition talks but opposed several key government policies.

With all votes tallied, the ANC garnered 40%, a significant drop from 58% in the prior election, as announced by the electoral commission on Sunday. This result was even lower than the party’s worst-case scenario of 45%, forcing the ANC to seek coalition partners to form the next government. Ramaphosa acknowledged the people's verdict, emphasizing the need for political leaders to heed and respect the electorate’s wishes and to find common ground.

South Africa's political factions have two weeks to negotiate a coalition before the new parliament convenes to select a president. The centre-right DA, holding 87 seats, is open to coalition discussions but opposes the ANC's black empowerment policies and the National Health Insurance Bill. The ANC has stated these policies are non-negotiable.

Former president Jacob Zuma, now leading the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, which won 58 seats, was absent from the results announcement and hinted at a challenge to the outcome. The MK has indicated willingness to collaborate with the ANC, but not under Ramaphosa’s leadership. Zuma, replaced by Ramaphosa in a 2018 power struggle, called for an election rerun, alleging fraud, and warned of potential unrest if his demands were ignored. His MK party secured substantial support in KwaZulu-Natal, highlighting local grievances such as prolonged water shortages.

The ANC, historically dominant since Mandela's 1994 victory, has seen its support wane due to pervasive corruption, unemployment, and crime. Patrick Gaspard, former US ambassador to South Africa, noted the disenchantment of the post-apartheid generation with the party's failure to deliver economic transformation and essential services like reliable electricity.