Govt of national unity set to form in South Africa, as ANC says it has broad pact with main opposition, others

SOUTH AFRICA – South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) party said it has a broad agreement with the main opposition and other parties to form a coalition government.

This is aimed at ending a political deadlock after the ANC lost its 30-year majority in an election two weeks ago.

The announcement comes on the eve of the first sitting of South Africa’s new Parliament, when lawmakers would elect a president, according to a report by the Africanews.

The ANC needed help from other parties to re-elect President Cyril Ramaphosa for a second and final term.

The party lost its long-held parliamentary majority in the May 29 vote.

ANC Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula, told reporters that the main opposition Democratic Alliance and others had agreed on the “fundamental” principle of forming a “government of national unity” with the ANC.

He, however, noted that finer details of the agreement had not been finalised yet. “So that to us represent a major breakthrough,” he said.

Mbalula said the framework of the agreement would likely be made public on Friday.

A broad agreement was the first priority for the ANC to get Ramaphosa re-elected with the help of others.

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