ANC in South Africa Leans Towards Unity Government Amid Resistance

The African National Congress (ANC) is contemplating the formation of a national unity government in South Africa. However, the second-largest party has indicated its reluctance to participate in a government that includes smaller competitors.

Since Nelson Mandela’s 1994 victory, the ANC has held power but lost its parliamentary majority in the recent election. The party is grappling with challenges such as poverty, unemployment, crime, power outages, and corruption.

The ANC has been exploring possibilities with five parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). In the upcoming National Assembly, the ANC will hold 159 seats out of 400, while the DA will have 87 seats.

Former president Jacob Zuma’s populist uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) is set to have 58 seats, the EFF will have 39, the Inkatha Freedom Party 17, and the far-right Patriotic Alliance (PA) nine.

The DA’s spokesperson, Werner Horn, emphasized that the party’s negotiating team lacks the authority to finalize such an agreement. Any shift in stance would require approval from the party’s federal governing bodies.