The African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa has started talks with opposition parties to form a government after losing its parliamentary majority.
Fikile Mbalula, the party’s secretary-general, stated during a press conference on Sunday that the ANC is open to discussions with any party but refuses to entertain demands for President Cyril Ramaphosa to step down as a precondition.
The Democratic Alliance, South Africa’s primary opposition, maintained its majority in the Western Cape province, a stronghold it has governed since 2009.
In the recent election, the DA secured 55.3% of the votes in the province, slightly down from 55.5% in 2019, as reported by the Electoral Commission of South Africa.
In a related development, the African National Congress, South Africa’s ruling party, lost control of KwaZulu-Natal, the nation’s second-most populous province, as voters emphatically favored the party of former President Jacob Zuma.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is reportedly facing pressure from his closest party allies to explore forming a coalition with the opposition Democratic Alliance, following a significant setback in this week’s elections.