Charamba denies ANC defeat as Cyril admits loss

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Presidential Spokesman George Charamba vehemently denied claims that the African National Congress (ANC) had suffered a defeat in the recent elections. Charamba emphasized that coalitions are merely tactical alliances and not reflective of the ANC’s long-term stability. “WHAT MANY MISS: Coalitions are tactical alliances, alliances of necessity; they are not the goal. We had that here in the form of GNU. What happened afterwards? It’s politically foolish to judge the shelf life of ANC on the likely temporary retreat. The real issue crying out for analysis is if or not the retreat is strategic!” Charamba asserted on Monday morning.

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa described the election results as a victory for South Africa’s democracy, despite the ANC losing its parliamentary majority for the first time. The once-dominant party, historically led by Nelson Mandela, secured 159 seats in the 400-seat parliament, a significant drop from the 230 seats it held in the previous assembly.

“This is the ANC’s worst election result since the end of apartheid 30 years ago, but it still holds the most seats by far,” Ramaphosa noted. The president acknowledged the sharp decline in support, which necessitates forming a coalition to govern. “Our people have spoken, whether we like it or not, they have spoken,” he said.

Ramaphosa called on all political leaders to heed the will of the voters and seek common ground. “Through their votes, they have demonstrated clearly and plainly that our democracy is strong and it is enduring,” he added. South Africa’s political parties now have two weeks to negotiate a coalition, after which the new parliament will convene to choose a president.

The centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA), maintaining its position as the second-largest party in parliament, has expressed openness to coalition discussions. However, former president Jacob Zuma, who leads the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party that finished third, was notably absent from the results announcement. Zuma had earlier called for an election rerun, alleging electoral misconduct and demanding an independent investigation.

Zuma, speaking earlier in the day, warned the electoral commission against finalizing the results, suggesting it would be “provoking us” if his demands were ignored. “Don’t start trouble when there is no trouble,” he cautioned. The former president’s MK party made significant inroads in KwaZulu-Natal, securing 44% of the provincial vote compared to the ANC’s 19%.

Charamba’s strong denial of any ANC defeat stands in stark contrast to the broader interpretation of the results as a setback for the party. Nonetheless, the coming weeks will be crucial as coalition talks unfold, shaping the future governance of South Africa