South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that his African National Congress party will seek a national unity government after losing its parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid rule.
Last week’s general election saw the ANC win just over 40% of the vote and 158 seats in South Africa’s National Assembly. The ruling party fell short of an outright majority for the first time in their history.
“The purpose of the government of national unity must be, first and foremost, to tackle the pressing issues that South Africans want to be addressed,” Ramaphosa said after a lengthy meeting with party officials.
ANC meeting with all opposition parties
Ramaphosa acknowledged after ten hours of discussions with senior party members, the governing party now needs partners to form a government.
“Such a national dialogue will enhance the pressing task of rebuilding social cohesion in a fractured society, following a particularly toxic and divisive election campaign,” he said. “All parties must commit to shared nation building and social cohesion.”
“These values include respect for the constitution of the Republic of South Africa and the rule of law, social justice and equity, human dignity, non-racialism and non-sexism.”
ANC negotiators had already held talks with five parties: The leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the center-right Democratic Alliance (DA), the National Freedom Party (NFP) and the anti-immigrant Patriotic Alliance (PA).
