The African National Congress (ANC) confirmed Monday (Jun. 3) that it will hold a National Executive Committee meeting to decide on the constitution of government this week.
It’s leader, Cyril Ramaphosa, seeks a second term but needs the support of other parties after the ANC lost its majority in parliament.
The ANC secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, tweeted on June 3rd that the party “is having discussions within the organization and with other parties and stakeholders on how best to establish national and provincial governments that reflect the will of the people and that can take the country forward.”
The country’s first party has a range of potential partners but analysts have warned no deal would be easy.
Allying with the country’s first opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, would mean the ANC has the numbers.
However, the two parties have shown irreconcilable views on a range of key issues.
Getting Steenhuisen’s DA and Ramaphosa’s ANC together is widely viewed as the most stable coalition option by analysts. Some have suggested that other smaller parties could be brought in to create a wider coalition and dilute the ANC-DA mix.
The MK Party, which came in third in the election, could make the cut but former president Jacob Zuma, who has campaigned for the newly founded party, has acrimonious ties with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The Economic Freedom Fighters of former ANC member Julius Malema could also make the cut. There’s some common ground between it and the ANC.
The inclusion of the EFF and MK in any coalition may result in the DA pulling out.
The new Parliament needs to sit for the first time and elect a president within 14 days of the results being declared.
Ramaphosa’s presidency is in the balance, given that a coalition agreement also has to translate into reelecting him for a second term. South Africans vote for parties in elections to decide how many seats they get in Parliament. Lawmakers then elect the president and the ANC now doesn’t have enough lawmakers on its own to reelect Ramaphosa.