SA Faces Govt as No Party Wins Majority in Recent Elections

In a display of democratic participation, citizens exercised their right to vote as enshrined in Section 19 of the Constitution, which guarantees every adult citizen the right to free, fair, and regular elections.

Following the recent elections in South Africa, no political party has secured an outright majority to lead the country for the next five years, raising questions about how the seventh democratic government will be constituted.

In a display of democratic participation, citizens exercised their right to vote as enshrined in Section 19 of the Constitution, which guarantees every adult citizen the right to free, fair, and regular elections.

The results, announced on Sunday, revealed that the African National Congress (ANC) obtained 159 seats in the 400-member National Assembly (NA), followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 87 seats, and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party with 58 seats. This translates to the ANC receiving 40.18% of the votes, the DA 21.81%, and the MK 14.58%. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) garnered 39 seats, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) 17, and the Patriotic Alliance (PA) nine seats. Other political parties filled the remaining seats with varying numbers.

The distribution of seats in Parliament is proportional to the number of votes cast for each party. The National Assembly Guide to Procedure 2004 explains that the NA "is the House directly elected by the South African electorate," with the Constitution mandating it to consist of between 350 and 400 members.

In August 2023, Deputy President Paul Mashatile convened a National Dialogue on Coalition Governments to lay the groundwork for a National Framework for Coalition Governments. This initiative aims to effectively manage and navigate coalition arrangements, which have shown adverse effects on service delivery and governance at the local government level.

A coalition government occurs when two or more political parties or independent representatives combine their votes in a legislature to elect a government and support its decisions. This becomes necessary when no single party holds a majority of seats. Without a coalition, the President, Premier, or Mayor is likely to be voted out of power.

South Africa is familiar with coalitions, having experienced one after the 1994 elections, resulting in a government of national unity (GNU). Under the interim Constitution, the National Party and Inkatha Freedom Party participated in the GNU led by President Nelson Mandela. South Africa has also seen coalitions at the provincial level in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, and in municipalities since the first democratic local government elections in 2000.

At the Electoral Commission’s Election Results ceremony, President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized the responsibility voters took for the future of their country. "Through their votes, they have demonstrated that our democracy is strong, robust, and endures. Our people have spoken," he said, urging political leaders to respect the will of the people.

Parliament is prepared for the establishment of the new National Assembly, with comprehensive plans in place to ensure a seamless transition and onboarding of new Members of Parliament, according to Parliamentary spokesperson Moloto Mothapo.

As South Africa approaches its 2024 National and Provincial Elections, the regular conduct of elections since 1994 reaffirms the strength of its democracy.