Published: Saturday, June 8, 2024
JOHANNESBURG – South African opposition parties met on Friday, and will continue to hold crunch discussions into the next week. They are evaluating an offer from the ruling African National Congress to join a government of unity.
ANC did not win a majority at the highly contested elections last week, but many opposition parties have already rejected its offer due to deep-seated divisions.
Monday, senior officials from the Democratic Alliance (DA), the main opposition party, will discuss the approach of the centrist party to the negotiation process. On Friday, the top leadership of the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party held talks.
The parties are under pressure to reach an agreement and conclude negotiations by the 16th of June, as South Africa’s Constitution requires that they do so within fourteen days following the announcement of election results.
Cyril Ramaphosa announced Thursday, as the leader of the ANC, that his party had decided on a government based on national unity. He invited all the parties to participate in the process, which is expected to be complicated, given the vast differences between the opposition parties.
The opposition parties are not only at odds with the ANC over various socioeconomic policies but also on economic issues like land redistribution or affirmative action.
ActionSA, the opposition party, has already stated that it will not be taking part in the negotiations as it does not want to work with ANC.
The party decided to invite a variety of opposition parties as part of its government, in what appears to be a move reminiscent of the path taken by Nelson Mandela’s ANC following the first democratic elections held in the country back on 1994.
Mandela’s insistence on a unity cabinet despite the ANC winning with a huge majority of nearly 63% in the national vote has led to the current situation. The ANC is now in this position due to its worst ever electoral performance, which dropped from 57.5% in the 2019 elections to 40% in the 2018 election, a drop of 17.5%.
The EFF leader, shortly after Ramaphosa announced his announcement, took to X and rejected Ramaphosa’s proposal for a government based on national unity. He also accused the ANC’s arrogance despite not winning a majority.
The EFF, which had 11% of the vote in 2019, is now among the top five after the elections. It is expected to be a key part of any final outcome of negotiations.
“The arrogance persists even after South African voters sent warning signs. Julius Malema, EFF leader, said that you can’t dictate a course of action as if your election had been won. “We’re not desperate, this is a mission for a whole generation.”
Malema stated that “we cannot share power with our enemies”.
In 2023, DA declared Economic Freedom Fighters its No. 1 enemy. 1 enemy.
The Federal Council will meet Monday to discuss the options of the DA. It received just over 21% in the national vote, remaining the second largest party.
“I cannot say what the position is of the DA, but we have a negotiation team that will meet on Monday as part of the Federal Council.” Helen Zille, federal chair of the Democratic Alliance, said on Friday that a framework for negotiation would be released this weekend.
Inkatha Freedom Party (5th largest party) with almost 4% of national votes expressed on Friday its willingness to join the government of unity. However, it also planned to discuss this matter with the party structures in the coming days.
“In principle, IFP does not oppose a GNU” (government of unity). The devil lies in the details which will be clearer over the next few days, allowing the IFP to take a well-considered, informed decision.
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party, led by Jacob Zuma who has left the ANC was the last to enter negotiations. On Thursday, the party confirmed that it had started talks with the ANC. Initially, the party failed to respond to its invitation.
The party raised concerns about the results of the elections to the country’s electoral body. It cited alleged irregularities in voting and threatened to boycott the first session of Parliament for swearing-in the new legislators.
Economists claim that markets are eagerly awaiting the results of the negotiations in order to determine the composition of Africa’s next government and its economic policies.