ANC to speak as South Africa waits to find out who will govern
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[June 05, 2024]
By Wendell Roelf
CAPE TOWN (Reuters) -The African National Congress will give an early
indication on Wednesday of its response to last week's election, which
ended its 30-year run as the majority party and plunged South Africa
into political uncertainty unseen in the democratic era.
The ANC, which is still the largest party but can no longer govern
alone, said it would hold a news conference at 12 p.m. (1000 GMT), but
it is not expected to make an announcement about any coalition plans as
it has yet to decide on its position.
The party has run South Africa since Nelson Mandela led it to power in
the 1994 elections that marked the end of apartheid, but voters punished
it this time over persistent poverty and joblessness, rampant crime,
corruption and frequent power cuts.
Voters, politicians and financial markets are on tenterhooks to find out
which party or parties the ANC will approach to form a national
government and will be scrutinizing every detail that comes out of the
news conference for clues on what to expect.
The ANC's choice will steer the nation in one of several very different
possible directions as contender parties range from the free-marketeer
Democratic Alliance (DA) to the Marxist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF),
with a range of smaller parties with their own specific identities also
in the mix.
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A note to media said the news conference would include an announcement
about a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting "to be held this
week", suggesting that the meeting had been postponed from Wednesday,
when it had originally been scheduled.
The NEC meeting will be the forum where the party's most senior figures
attempt to thrash out a consensus on which parties to work with and what
kind of a deal to offer them.
An ANC spokesperson responded to a request for comment on whether the
NEC meeting had been postponed by resending the note on the news
conference. The event did not start on time but it was not clear how
late it would begin.
'DA DEAL' GETS SUPPORT
An ANC official said "an organized corner" within the party was expected
to push for a deal with the EFF and uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), a party led
by former president Jacob Zuma, but they were outnumbered by those
favoring an arrangement with the DA.
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![](../images/060524PIX/news_i16.jpg)
President of the African National Congress (ANC) Cyril Ramaphosa
delivers an address to supporters during the political party’s final
rally ahead of the upcoming election at FNB stadium in Johannesburg,
South Africa, May 25, 2024. REUTERS/Alaister Russell/File Photo
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"The center and probably the majority of the ANC internally in the
NEC see the value of the DA deal because it gives us a cabinet and a
lot of power, so they are likely to do that," said the official, who
is not an NEC member but is familiar with discussions at the most
senior level.
The official, who is a supporter of party leader President Cyril
Ramaphosa, said he was all but certain to remain in post even if
some NEC members broke ranks and called for his resignation.
The ANC's options for a national government include a formal
coalition or a confidence-and-supply deal whereby one or more
parties agree to support it on key votes like the budget, in return
for a role in some policy and legislative work.
"It looks like it will be a hybrid arrangement," said the ANC
official, who did not wish to be named.
"We will give some to the DA ... The DA will not get all that it
wants. We are not likely to give away Speaker of Parliament to the
DA," said the source, describing that post as "queen of the chess
board".
The source added that it was unlikely the NEC would swiftly resolve
the issue of national government.
"It is more likely the NEC will beef up the negotiating team and
give them a mandate to look into one or two options and to say if
there is a preference this way or that way, because if you are
negotiating you don't come out and put all your cards on the table,"
the source said.
The news conference will also be about the outcome of Tuesday's
discussions by an internal working group and about the selection
process for ANC candidates to be provincial premiers, according to
the note to media.
(Additional reporting by Nellie Peyton; Writing by Estelle Shirbon:
Editing by Angus MacSwan and Andrew Heavens)
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