CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa’s African National Congress party will not consider any demands from potential coalition partners that President Cyril Ramaphosa resign, a top official said Sunday, as the ANC sought to present a united front after a stinging election result ended his 30-year majority.
As South Africa moves towards a series of complex talks to form a national coalition government for the first time and achieve stability, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said Ramaphosa would remain as party leader and that any demands from others that he step down would allowing the talks to continue was a ‘no go area’.
“President Ramaphosa is the president of the ANC,” Mbalula said in the ANC leadership’s first public comments since the historic election results. “And if you come to us demanding that Ramaphosa resign as president, that will not happen.”
Mbalula said the ANC is open to talks with any other political party in an attempt to form a government, but “no political party will dictate terms to us, the ANC. They won’t do that… Just come to us with that demand, forget it.”
Mbalula admitted that the ANC, which has dominated South African politics since the end of apartheid in 1994, “suffered greatly” during the elections but said it “has not been eradicated.”
The ANC received just over 40% of the vote, which falls far short of the majority it has had throughout South Africa’s young democracy. It will still be the biggest party somehow. But the country must talk to others to form a government and re-elect Ramaphosa for a second and final term. The president of South Africa is elected by parliament after national elections.
“The results send a clear message to the ANC,” Mbalula said. “We want to send a message to the people of South Africa: we heard them.” He said the ANC is determined to form a government that reflects the will of the people and is stable.
Former president Jacob Zuma’s new MK party, which won 14% in the election, surprisingly making it the third largest party in parliament, has said Ramaphosa must leave as leader of the ANC and the country before it can enter coalition talks Participate. with the ANC.
The ANC has many options for coalition partners among South Africa’s other parties, including one with the main opposition Democratic Alliance, which won 21% of the vote.
“We will talk to everyone,” Mbalula said. “We are talking to everyone because the elections did not give us an absolute majority. The conversations about conversations are in full swing. We are committed and open to involvement. We need stability in this country.”
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