Cracks Appear In South African Coalition Govt As Partner DA Takes ANC To Court

The new coalition government of South Africa formed last month after the national elections on May 29 is facing a major crisis as the leading party African National Congress (ANC) has been taken to court by its partner Democratic Alliance (DA) on the issue of a speech delivered by the President Cyril Ramaphosa during the election campaign.

The DA which was formed as a coalition of anti-ANC parties before the national elections on May 29 joined the present coalition government following discussions with the ANC, to form a stable government. The two combinations have policy differences but the election results compelled them to join hands since no other combination was found possible. The ANC which ruled South Africa since 1994’s first election, lost its majority in the latest elections leading to the need for taking a partner for forming a stable government.

The curious fact is that the court papers were submitted to the Electoral Court by the DA in May this year before it entered into a coalition with the ANC, but it decided to still go ahead with the case defying all requests from its leading partner ANC not to pursue the case and create problems for the coalition government.

The DA asked the court to deduct 1 per cent of the vote received by the ANC in the May 29 national election and fine. President Ramaphosa, the ANC leader, the equivalent of £8,500 and his party £4,220, over what it argues was a presidential address that was used for election campaigning and amounted to an abuse of office. The ANC termed the charges as’ frivolous and unwarrranted’

Mr Ramaphosa gave the speech three days before the election during which he highlighted what he said were ANC successes during its 30-year in government. The DA said that the election rules in South Africa did not allow the President to campaign for the ANC. The ANC is prepared to fight the legal battle but the development signals the cracks in the functioning of the newly formed coalition government and the DA’s determined move to embarrass its leading coalition partner.

For ANC regime led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, the national poll results gave a big shock showing how the voting level of the ANC had declined to only 40 per cent as against 57.4 per cent received by the ANC in 2019 general elections. As per South African constitution, any party getting below the 50 per cent level, will lose the right to form a government of its own and be ready for a coalition with other minority partners. President will be finally elected on that basis. So the continuation of the president Ramaphosa depended on the agreement reached between the ANC and its partners to obtain more than 50 per cent of the votes in the newly elected assembly.

The ANC started its negotiations with all major parties after the results were out. More than 50 parties took part in the election, and eight had significant shares of the vote. At least 26 of them, including the MK Party led by former President Jacob Zuma, have lodged objections and complaints with the electoral body alleging voting irregularities, which it has promised to address.

The DA won the second most votes with 21.8%, and the two parties ANS and DA held a majority together, a total of 61.8 per cent to enable them to govern. The ANC won 159 seats in the 400-seat Parliament, down from the 230 it won in the last election. The DA increased slightly to 87 seats.

As per the constitution, the new Parliament will have to sit for its opening session for electing President within fourteen days after announcing the official results. So that way the Parliament met in the middle of June this year and the coalition partners agreed to retain Ramaphosa as the President. A common programme was also discussed. DA favours more the growth of private business as against government controlled business. There are many issues on which both differed but the two parties agreed to run the coalition government on the basis of understanding. That trust is lacking now and that is affecting the governance. (IPA Service)