Ramaphosa urges unity after IEC releases final election results

President Cyril Ramaphosa called on political parties to work together for the good of the country as final results from last week’s election confirmed the ANC had lost its majority for the first time.

The result, announced on Sunday, is the worst election showing for the ANC since it came to power 30 years ago.

Voters, angry at joblessness, inequality and rolling blackouts, slashed support for the ANC to 40.2%, down from 57.5% in the previous 2019 parliamentary vote.

Official results showed the ANC winning 159 seats in the 400-seat National Assembly, down from 230 previously.

The result means that the ANC must now share power in order to keep it — an unprecedented prospect in SA’s post-apartheid history.

“South Africans expect the parties for which they have voted to find common ground, overcome their differences and act together for the good of everyone. That’s what South Africans have said,” Ramaphosa said after the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) announced the final results.

He called the election free and fair, and a “victory for our democracy”.

“We have held another successful election that has been free, fair and peaceful. The Independent Electoral Commission has, despite many challenges, once more acquitted itself with excellence, professionalism and integrity.

“Millions of South Africans have cast their votes in cities and towns, in villages and on farms, at voting stations at home and abroad. South Africans care about their country. South Africans have demonstrated that they want to be part of making this country a better place. South Africans have shown how important their vote is and that they know that their vote counts,” Ramaphosa said.

“Our people expect all parties to work together within the framework of our constitution and address whatever challenges we encounter peacefully and in accordance with the prescripts of our constitution and the rule of law.

“Each party emerges from this election with a mandate based on the commitments they each made to the electorate. However, all the parties share an overarching mandate, to work in partnership with each other and with society more broadly, to build a country that is inclusive, united and prosperous.

“As we take up our seats in parliament and in the provincial legislatures let us appreciate that the seats we occupy do not belong to us. They belong to the people.”

He thanked IEC officials, home affairs staff and members of the police and SA National Defence force “for ensuring peace and stability during voting”.

Political parties now have two weeks to work out a deal before the new parliament sits to choose a president, who would probably still hail from the ANC, since it remains the biggest force.

“This is the time for all of us to put South Africa first,” Ramaphosa said.

ANC officials earlier on Sunday said the party was humbled by the result and had “nothing to celebrate” but stood by Ramaphosa, and said they would not bend to pressure for him to step down.

The poor showing had fuelled speculation that Ramaphosa’s days might be numbered, either due to the demands of a prospective coalition partner or as a result of an internal leadership challenge.

“That is a no-go area,” Fikile Mbalula, the ANC’s secretary-general, told a press briefing, the party’s first since the polls.

“Did we commit mistakes? Yes, we did. In governance and everywhere else,” he said, adding that the ANC was now committed to forming a government “that is stable and that is able to govern effectively”.

The ANC’s leadership will meet on Tuesday to plot the path forward.

Cosatu also rallied behind Ramaphosa. 

“What’s key is that a coalition be led by the ANC and President Ramaphosa,” Cosatu spokesperson Matthew Parks said.

Before Wednesday's vote, the ANC had won every national election by a landslide since 1994, but over the last decade its support has waned.

The main opposition party, the DA, received 21.8% of votes.

UMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party managed to take 14.6%, doing most of the damage to the ANC. Despite doing better than expected, MK said it was considering challenging the results in court. 

The far-left EFF, led by former ANC youth leader Julius Malema, got 9.5%.

The prospect of an ANC tie-up with either the EFF or MK has rattled SA’s business community and international investors, who would prefer a coalition that brings in the DA.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said on the party’s YouTube channel that it had named a team to begin talks with other parties with the aim of preventing such an alliance, which he called a “doomsday coalition”.

“For the Democratic Alliance, burying our heads in the sand while South Africa faces its greatest threat since the dawn of democracy is not an option,” he said.

The small IFP, with a power base in KwaZulu-Natal that won nearly 4% of the vote, was to meet separately on Sunday to discuss its next steps. 

“I would almost certainly think (the ANC) wouldn’t just go with the DA. They would most probably go with somebody like the IFP as well just because of the perception that the DA is a very white party,” said Melanie Verwoerd, a political analyst.

Reuters