Current:Home > NewsSouth Africa set for new coalition government as the late Nelson Mandela's ANC is forced to share power -CryptoBase
South Africa set for new coalition government as the late Nelson Mandela's ANC is forced to share power
View
Date:2025-04-15 20:49:06
Johannesburg — After talks that carried on late into Thursday night, Friday morning brought news that South Africa would soon have its first coalition government. Uncertainty had reigned since the late Nelson Mandela's party, the long-ruling African National Congress, lost its majority in May's national election.
The ANC said Thursday that it would partner with other political parties to form a Government of National Unity —similar to the route Mandela himself chose after the historic election that brought him to power as the country's first democratically elected president in 1994. But who would join the ANC, now led by incumbent President Cyril Rampaphosa, remained unclear until late Friday morning.
In the end, it wasn't a deal for a unity government that emerged, but a coalition between the ANC and its biggest rivals, the Democratic Alliance party, as well as several other smaller parties who received a much smaller share of May's vote. The deal was announced on Friday morning as new and returning lawmakers were being sworn into their roles in the parliament.
The DA agreed to support Ramaphosa's election to a second term as president, with an ANC leader as Speaker of the Parliament and a DA leader as Deputy Speaker. The rest of the details, and ministerial positions, were still being finalized.
Earlier, the ANC had announced that several parties would form a government of national unity, including the Democratic Alliance and the Economic Freedom Front, prompting some critics to say the ANC was working with "white parties." EFF leader Julius Malema, whose party won 9% of the vote, had said earlier that his party would not join a unity government with the former "oppressor parties."
The controversy was addressed late Thursday night by ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, who told journalists: "To us it doesn't matter whether the cat is black or white… The question is how do we move the country forward."
The DA, the main opposition party, has been favored by South African business leaders and won the second highest number of votes nationally, at close to 22%. Its leadership had said earlier that they would not join any unity government that included the EFF.
The MK Party of former President Jacob Zuma, a fierce critic of Ramaphosa, which swept to a surprise third place in last month's national election, said it would not work with the ANC if the incumbent remained its leader.
Zuma has a long history of acrimony with Ramaphosa, who was elected president of the ANC after it ousted Zuma as a member over multiple corruption charges, which he has always denied, claiming to be a victim of wrongful persecution.
- In:
- Africa
- South Africa
- Nelson Mandela
- Election
Sarah Carter is an award-winning CBS News producer based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has been with CBS News since 1997, following freelance work for organizations including The New York Times, National Geographic, PBS Frontline and NPR.
TwitterveryGood! (73)
Related
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Virginia Senate panel votes to reject Youngkin nominations of parole board chair, GOP staffer
- Chita Rivera, trailblazing Tony-winning Broadway star of 'West Side Story,' dies at 91
- Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner returns home to Italy amid great fanfare
- A steeplechase record at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Then a proposal. (He said yes.)
- Our E! Shopping Editors Share Favorite Lululemon Picks of the Month— $39 Leggings, $29 Tanks, and More
- Yells for help lead to Maine man's rescue after boat overturns: Lobstermen saved his life
- Union calls on security workers at most major German airports to strike on Thursday
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Over 50% of Americans would take a 20% pay cut for 'work-life balance. But can they retire?
Ranking
- Jury finds man guilty of sending 17-year-old son to rob and kill rapper PnB Rock
- Ex-Huskers TE Gilbert, a top national recruit in 2019, pleads no contest to misdemeanors in break-in
- Team USA receives Olympic gold medal 2 years after Beijing Games after Russian skater banned
- Think you might be lactose intolerant? What that means for your future diet.
- Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
- Wisconsin judge affirms regulators can force factory farms to get preemptive pollution permits
- UN urges rivals in Cyprus to de-escalate tensions and seize opportunity to restart negotiations
- Utah is the latest state to ban diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campus and in government
Recommendation
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
'The Bachelor' Contestant Daisy Kent Has Ménière's disease: What should you know about the condition
Who is Victoria Monét? Meet the songwriter-turned-star nominated for seven Grammys
'Your Utopia' considers surveillance and the perils of advanced technology
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
Don't miss the latest 'Feud' – between Truman Capote and NYC's society ladies
North Carolina amends same-day voter registration rules in an effort to appease judge’s concerns
Tennessee has been in contact with NCAA. AP source says inquiry related to potential NIL infractions