South Africa’s new unity government now comprises five parties, the African National Congress (ANC) confirmed today.
These parties collectively hold more than two-thirds of the seats in the National Assembly, following recent elections where the ANC failed to secure a parliamentary majority for the first time since apartheid ended in 1994.
ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected as president last Friday with support from the Democratic Alliance (DA), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the Patriotic Alliance (PA), and now, the GOOD party. Together, these parties control 273 seats, accounting for 68% of the 400-seat parliament.
The unity government aims to ensure representation for all participating parties and will prioritize economic growth, investment promotion, job creation, land reform, and infrastructure development through consensus-based decision-making.
Efforts are ongoing to include more parties in the coalition, though some, like the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and uMkhonto we Sizwe, have opted out, forming an opposition caucus in parliament.