JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s newly elected parliament is to convene for its inaugural session on Friday, authorities said, as political parties scramble to form a coalition after general elections produced no clear winner.
The assembly’s 400 lawmakers will gather in Cape Town to appoint a speaker and initiate the process of electing the country’s president, a task that poses challenges following the African National Congress (ANC)’s loss of its absolute parliamentary majority.
Chief Justice Raymond Zondo confirmed the date of the first sitting of the National Assembly in an order released on Monday. The ANC, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, secured 40 percent of the vote in the May 29 election, its lowest-ever share since the advent of democracy in 1994. With no outright majority, the ANC is compelled to seek coalition partners to form a government.
The ANC has proposed a government of national unity, aiming to include a broad spectrum of opposition parties. However, initial skepticism from some parties, including the radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has prompted ongoing discussions and negotiations. Despite differing political ideologies, parties are holding talks for collaborations to establish stable governance.
Ramaphosa, in a weekly newsletter, emphasized the necessity of cooperation among all political entities to sustain momentum in economic reform and national development. “As the country prepares for a new democratic administration, all parties need to work together to sustain the momentum of reform, growth and transformation,” he said.
However, dissenting voices, such as Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, have voiced concerns over the electoral process’s legality and intend to file a court appeal to delay parliament’s convening.
Former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party — which came third in the election, winning 14.6 percent of the vote and 58 seats — said it was to file a court appeal to prevent the new parliament from convening, pending a separate complaint over alleged election irregularities.
Meanwhile, divisions within the ANC exist over potential coalition formations, particularly regarding alliances with ideologically incongruent parties.
