EXPLAINER
The African National Congress (ANC) has lost its parliamentary majority and will need coalition partners to overcome 50 percent of the vote and form a government.
Almost all votes have been counted in South Africa, but the ruling African National Congress (ANC) has received only 40.21 percent of the vote in Wednesday's election, far short of a majority.
For the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994, the once dominant party will need to reach an agreement with other parties to form a coalition government.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), the main opposition party, won the second highest number of votes (21.78 percent), followed by the MK party (14.59 percent) and the EFF (9.51 percent). ).
The South African Electoral Commission (IEC) will announce the official results on Monday evening at 6:00 pm local time (16:00 GMT).
South Africa's lowest voter turnout
Ahead of the May 29 election, a record 27.7 million South Africans registered to vote. However, only 16.2 million votes were cast on election day, resulting in a voter turnout of 58.61 percent, the lowest ever recorded in South Africa's 30-year democratic history.
In fact, voter turnout has been gradually declining in recent years. In 1999, nearly 90 percent of registered voters cast their ballots, while the 2019 election saw a 66 percent turnout.
Results by provinces
The ANC achieved enough votes to secure more than 50 percent in five of South Africa's nine provinces: Limpopo (74 percent), Eastern Cape (63 percent), North West (58 percent), Free State (53 percent) and Mpumalanga. (52 percent).
In the Northern Cape (49 per cent) and Gauteng (36 per cent), the ANC fell short of a majority and will need to find coalition partners to form government.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will continue to govern the Western Cape (53 per cent), as it has done since 2009.
And in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), former president Jacob Zuma's deputy received the highest number of votes with around 46 per cent, ahead of the ANC, which achieved around 18 per cent.
Of the almost 39,000 South Africans who voted from outside the country, more than 75 percent voted for the DA.
How is the president chosen and what happens after?
South Africans do not vote directly for the president.
Instead, they elect members of the National Assembly, who then elect the president by simple majority: 201 or more votes determine the presidency.
Following the announcement of the results by the IEC, certain procedural steps must be followed for South Africa to form a government. They include:
- Seat allocation: Seats in the 400-member National Assembly are allocated proportionally based on election results.
- First session of the National Assembly: Within 14 days of the election results, the newly elected National Assembly must hold its first session, in which members are sworn in and the president is elected.
- Election of the president: During the first session, or shortly after, the National Assembly elects the president of South Africa, who is then responsible for appointing the cabinet and forming the government.
- Government formation: Once the president is elected, the process of forming a government usually follows, including the appointment of ministers.
The entire process is usually completed within a couple of weeks to ensure a smooth transition of power and continuity of governance.
Ramaphosa's future in doubt
The current president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, 71, has indicated that he will not resign after the ANC's poor performance at the polls.
The former anti-apartheid activist, union leader and Soweto businessman was looking forward to his second and final term as president.
Some opposition parties, including Zuma's MK party, have ruled out a coalition deal with the ANC unless he fires Ramaphosa first.
Previous election results
The ANC had won a majority in all six national elections held since the end of apartheid in 1994, when Nelson Mandela became the country's first black president.
In 1994, the ANC won 62.5 percent of the vote. In 1999, it won 66.4 percent. In 2004, it won almost 70 percent of the vote, the highest percentage in its history. In 2009 he received almost 66 percent of the vote, and in 2014 the figure was 62 percent.
In the last election in 2019, the ANC achieved its lowest margin of victory, winning 57.5 percent of the vote.
The DA has come second in the last five elections.
Parties in the current National Assembly
The lower house of parliament is currently represented by 400 members from 14 political parties, distributed proportionally based on the votes each party received in the 2019 elections.
- African National Congress: 230 seats (57.5 percent)
- GIVES: 84 seats (21 percent)
- FEP: 44 seats (11 percent)
- Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP): 14 seats (3.5 percent)
Ten other parties occupy the remaining 28 seats.
