South Africa’s ANC seeks a national unity government
- For the first time, South Africa’s African National Congress needs partners to govern after its worst ever election showing
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday that his African National Congress (ANC) would seek to form a government of national unity, after failing to win an outright majority in last week’s general election.
After hours of deliberations, Ramaphosa said the ANC’s leadership had decided to try to band together with a broad group of opposition parties, ranging from the far right to the hard left.
The ANC won 40 per cent of the vote – its lowest score ever – and for the first time since the advent of democracy in 1994 it needs the backing of other groups to remain in power.
“We have therefore agreed that we will invite political parties to form a government of national unity as the best option to move our country forward,” Ramaphosa said at a press conference late in the evening after the marathon ANC talks.