The election date of 29 May 2024 was declared by the incumbent president Cyril Ramaphosa on 20 February.[6][7]
Going into the election, polls showed that support for the ANC was declining significantly, leading to expectations of a hung parliament.[8] In the 2021 South African municipal elections, the African National Congress received less than 50% of the total vote for the first time since the end of apartheid,[9] also losing support in the key metros of Tshwane (Pretoria), Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and eThekwini (Durban). The ANC retained control of eThekwini while the Democratic Alliance managed to take control of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni through a majority coalition and a minority coalition respectively, in addition to forming a majority coalition government in Tshwane, which it had governed since 2016.[10]
In early 2023, the ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters formed a coalition in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni where the two parties held MMC positions whilst electing a mayor from a minority party.[11] In April 2023, noting the prospects of an ANC/EFF national coalition, the DA leader John Steenhuisen called for "like-minded" parties to join to prevent a "doomsday coalition".[12]
uMkhonto we Sizwe
On 16 December 2023, former president Jacob Zuma announced his departure from the ANC, accusing the party and incumbent president Cyril Ramaphosa of serving as a "proxy for white monopoly capital." He was also noted as calling the ANC "sellouts" and "apartheid collaborators" He also announced establishment of his own political party, uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK), named after the apartheid-era military wing of the ANC.[13] The latter filed a lawsuit against the MK's registration in the Electoral Commission of South Africa, which was dismissed by the Electoral Court of South Africa on 26 March 2024 due to lack of merit. The ANC also plans to file a lawsuit against the party's naming after the historic MK.[14] According to opinion polling, it was suggested that MK could become the kingmakers after the elections.[15]
On 28 March 2024, the Electoral Commission barred Zuma from standing in the election, citing a previous criminal conviction.[16] MK appealed the ruling,[17] with Zuma's lawyers arguing that the conviction was of a civil nature, and the decision was overturned by the Electoral Court on 9 April,[18] permitting Zuma to stand.[19] On 12 April, the Electoral Commission announced that it would approach the Constitutional Court for clarity on section 47(1)(e) of the constitution, the provision used to uphold the initial objection against Zuma.[20] On 30 April, police launched an investigation into whether the MK had forged signatures in order to be able to register for the election.[21] On 20 May, Zuma was ruled ineligible to stand for the election by the Constitutional Court, citing his criminal conviction.[22] He was still allowed to campaign for MK[23] and his name was retained on the ballot as party leader.[24]
Voter turnout has declined since the end of apartheid, when 86% of eligible voters turned out.[33] For this election, 27 million people were eligible to vote.[34] Fifty-five percent of them were women, while voter registration was highest among those aged between 30 and 39 years old.[35] Only 58% of the country's registered voters voted in the election.
In June 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled in New Nation Movement NPC v President of the Republic of South Africa that the Electoral Act was unconstitutional to the extent that it did not allow independents to contest national and provincial elections.[36] Since the first elections held under universal suffrage, 400 members elected were elected to the National Assembly by a system of proportional representation with a closed list approach. Two hundred members were elected from national party lists, while the other 200 were elected from provincial party lists in each of the nine provinces. The national list seats were awarded by subtracting seats won at the provincial level from each party's national allocation to generate a maximally proportional result. The Droop quota variant of the largest remainder method was used to allocate seats at both the national and provincial levels.[37] Provincial legislatures were also elected by a system of proportional representation with closed party lists.
In February 2021, home affairs ministerAaron Motsoaledi appointed a ministerial advisory committee led by Valli Moosa to recommend a new electoral system.[38] While the committee was divided, a slim majority of members favoured a mixed-member proportional system, with half of the seats elected in single-member constituencies and the other half elected from party lists in one national multi-member constituency.[39] Due to dissatisfaction with the process surrounding the adoption of the Electoral Amendment Bill, a review clause was inserted into the Bill providing for the establishment of the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel.
Regional ballot
The regional ballot is one of the two ballots used in South Africa's national elections, alongside the national ballot. Voters were also presented with a third ballot, a single ballot used for the election of members of the nine provincial legislatures, held on the same day. The regional ballot is used to elect representatives to the National Assembly from each of the country's nine provinces. The regional ballot is proportional, meaning that seats are allocated to parties and independent candidates based on the number of votes received.[40]
Election of the National Assembly and provincial legislatures
On 17 April 2023, president Cyril Ramaphosa signed the South African Electoral Amendment Bill into law allowing independent candidates to stand for election to the National Assembly and provincial legislatures while keeping proportional representation with closed lists. Two hundred members will be elected from national party lists, while the remaining 200 seats will be contested by political parties and independent candidates in each of the nine provinces. In provincial legislatures, the single-tier multimember proportional system will continue to apply, with political parties and independent candidates contesting for seats. Voters will receive three ballot papers as opposed to two in previous elections; the first ballot will be to elect the 200 members of the National Assembly only contested by political parties; the second ballot will be to elect the remaining 200 members of the National Assembly, which will be contested by political parties and independent candidates in each of the nine provinces; and the third ballot will be to elect members of the provincial legislatures with political parties and independent candidates as well.[42]
Election of the president and premiers
Following the election, the president of South Africa was elected by the National Assembly. Although the president is required to be a member of the National Assembly at the time of election, a person who is elected as president must resign their seat in order to assume office.[43] The premiers of each province will also be elected by the respective provincial legislatures after the election.[37]
NCOP elections
The National Council of Provinces (NCOP) comprises 90 members, ten of whom are elected by each of the provincial legislatures in proportion to the composition of the legislature. The NCOP members will be sworn in the day after the first sitting of the National Assembly.[37]
The election saw 70 political parties register, the highest number for a general election in South Africa. It is also the first general election to allow independent candidates to run for the National Assembly.[34]
On 10 April 2024, the Independent Electoral Commission published the final candidate lists, again listing fifty-two parties as having national compensatory candidates (as opposed to national regional and provincial). The Independent South African National Civic Organisation no longer appeared on the list, whereas the Africa Restoration Alliance was added.[45] Six independent candidates appeared on the national regional lists, namely Zackie Achmat, Louis Liebenberg, Anele Mda, Lovemore N'dou, Ntakadzeni Phathela, and Lehlohonolo Ramoba.[46]
Campaign issues
Healthcare
On 15 May 2024, two weeks before the election, president Ramaphosa signed the National Health Insurance (NHI) Act into law, establishing a National Health Insurance state fund to provide more South Africans access to private healthcare.[47] The goal of the bill is to eventually phase out the use of private healthcare, replacing it with the NHI as the sole purchaser and provider of health insurance. The DA is staunchly opposed to the bill on the premise that it could lead to large tax increases and corruption by ANC "cadre deployment," and have promised to challenge it in court.[48][49]
The bill has been controversial because it would limit the ability for people to take out private health insurance to cover medical costs. Additionally, the government has not released official statistics regarding how much the NHI program would cost, raising concerns it could exacerbate South Africa's ongoing troubles providing public services such as electricity and water.[50][48][49]
Illegal immigration
The South African public has blamed many socioeconomic problems on illegal immigration.[51] Several parties such as ActionSA, IFP, ATM and PA,[52] call for tighter border controls in response to the perceived strain caused by undocumented migrants on public services and resources.[53][54][55] This is a widely popular stance, with the country having historically struggled with xenophobic vigilante violence (e.g. Operation Dudula).[56]
The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, known colloquially as the Zondo Commission, completed its work and submitted its final report to the president in June 2022.[57] The Commission cost the South African taxpayer "almost R1 billion".[58] Investigator Paul Holden of Shadow World Investigations read into evidence that state capture cost the South African economy at least R49 billion.[59]
In their 2024 election manifesto, the African National Congress claims that, as per the Zondo Commission's recommendations, "laws, institutions and practices are being put in place to reduce the potential for corruption of any sort and on any scale".[60] The Democratic Alliance puts the blame for corruption and state capture squarely on the shoulders of the ANC, saying that it will "establish a genuinely independent anti-crime and anti-corruption unit by dissolving the Hawks and establishing a new Chapter 9 institution, an Anti-Corruption Commission, which will only be accountable to the Parliament of South Africa."[61] The Economic Freedom Fighters proposes to amend the Constitution to "make the National Prosecuting Authority a Chapter 9 institution accountable to Parliament".[62]
The ANC was also criticized for provisionally including four ministers (Zizi Kodwa, Malusi Gigaba, David Mahlobo, and Gwede Mantashe) who were implicated in a corruption investigation into the administration of former president Jacob Zuma on 11 March, pending the final results of an intraparty review. Fourteen other officials were either disqualified or not listed as candidates by the ANC over the same issue.[63]
The ANC's proposed amendment of section 25 of the constitution of South Africa which failed in the Parliament of South Africa, by a vote of 204 MPs in favour, 145 MPs against and 0 abstentions.[64] The bill required a two-thirds majority. The constitutionality of the amendment was also questioned by civil society organisations as it attempted to implement land expropriation without compensation.[65][66] The ANC maintains that expropriation without compensation is necessary, as does the EFF.[67] The DA, the Freedom Front Plus, the ACDP and the IFP remain opposed to the ANC's renewed attempt at expropriation through the Expropriation Amendment Bill.[68][69]
Moves towards expropriation without compensation are largely framed as solutions to racial injustice.[70] Reports from the South African government indicate that whites own 72% of total farms of agricultural holdings,[71] while black South Africans are generally only responsible for between 5 and 10% of the country's agricultural output.[72]
The ANC sees the current policy as a continuation of Nelson Mandela's promise to return 30% of the land to black South Africans. Currently, the ANC hopes to accomplish the goal by 2030.[73] In their election manifesto, the ANC claims that they will "accelerate land reform and redistribution to reduce asset inequality and protect security of tenure, improve food security and agricultural production, promote rural and urban development and enable greater access to housing."[74]
The EFF shares a similar stance to that of the ANC. In their manifesto, the EFF outlines seven pillars on which they are basing their policies. The first is explicitly in favor of expropriation, reading "expropriation of South Africa's land without compensation for equal redistribution in use."[75] On the issue of expropriation, the EFF and ANC are mostly unified. Julius Malema, leader of the EFF, asserted that "when we say economic freedom, we mean Black people own productive farms."[76]
The DA opposes the policy of expropriation without compensation and sees attempts at expropriation as violating section 25 of the Constitution. Section 25 states that land may only be expropriated with compensation if the expropriation is in the public interest.[77] The party has called attempts to pass expropriation legislation "ruinous," an "assault on our constitutional values," and "archaic."[78]
Rolling blackouts, or "loadshedding", caused by problems with the state utility Eskom have been occurring since 2007, however the prevalence of blackouts has increased substantially since 2020.[79] There is general dissatisfaction with the ANC's handling of the blackouts, with a 2023 survey finding that 24% of voters who had previously supported the ANC were planning to switch to other parties if the issue was not resolved.[80]
The parties have taken varying stances on the issue. The ANC has pledged to create 12.5 million new jobs, a large portion of which will be devoted to a clean energy transition and modernisation of the nation's electrical system. The ANC has also linked the blackouts and energy crisis to environmental justice and climate change, claiming that its energy transition platform is also part of a larger transition to a cleaner economy.[81] According to the ANC's election manifesto, the party pledges to "cultivate partnerships to expand domestic industries with significant potential to create sustainable jobs... such as energy."[74] Additionally, the party views a clean energy transition as essential in solving the energy crisis. Part of this transition is moving away from the coal-based electrical grid that is currently facing loadshedding.[82] That being said, the ANC has shown historical resistance to transitioning to new energy sources (i.e. renewables).[83]
The DA largely blames the ANC for the energy crisis, saying that the state uses an "outdated" model of control and regulation. The DA intends to reduce government control over the energy sector if it is able to form a government. Using the Western Cape as a case study, the DA says it has a successful platform for energy solutions. They argue that recent contracts to build new solar plants in the area are indicative of this.[84] Much of their energy platform has to do with deregulation and reducing taxes on private entities.[85]
The EFF takes a Marxist and black nationalist approach to the issue. The party calls for the end of the privatization of Eskom, while calling for the involvement of the private sector in new electricity generation as part of efforts to shift control to the "majority of black people."[75]
According to the South African Police Service Crime Statistics for Quarter 2 of the 2023–24 financial year, reported contact crimes (defined by SAPS as "crimes against the person") has increased by 3 391 (2.1%) compared to the previous year.[86] Recorded attempted murder illustrated the highest increase year-on-year, with 12.3%.[86] Total contact crimes reported for the quarter are 165,909. The murder rate correlates to 77 people murdered per day, while 160 cases of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm are reported over the same period.[87] Prior to the election, political violence was reportedly on the rise, especially in KwaZulu-Natal.[88]
Action Society notes that "if the current murder trend continues, at least 31,000 people will be killed in the next 12 months...the [South African Government] has lost control..."[89]
The lack of adequate housing has been a major issue.[90] According to a report from Parliament, dated May 2022, the human settlements sector had a total of 3.4 million housing units built since 1994. The respective provinces and municipalities delivered a separate 1.3 million "serviced sites".[91] A parliamentary question to the Minister of Human Settlements revealed there were 2,456,773 households registered on the National Housing Needs Register as of February 2023.[92] In the City of Cape Town, there were 375,150 on the municipalities' Housing Needs Register.[93]
In answer to a Parliamentary question to the Minister of Human Settlements on 24 March 2024, she stated that her department had built 245,587 houses in the five years between January 2019 and January 2024.[94]
Cadre deployment
The ANC has practised a policy of employing people who are loyal to the ANC to positions within institutions of government. The Zondo Commission has found that cadre deployment played a significant part in corruption and went as far as to say that it is "illegal and unconstitutional".[95]
On 12 February 2024, the Constitutional Court ruled that the ANC had five days to hand over their cadre deployment records to the Democratic Alliance dating back to 1 January 2013.[96] Documents released by the DA so far contain a sworn affidavit from Thapelo Masilela, a Strategic Support Manager in the Office of the ANC Deputy Secretary General's Office which states that a laptop containing information in relation to the Deployment Committee had "crashed and...data which was stored on that hard drive had been lost".[97] DA Leader John Steenhuisen responded in a press briefing on 23 February 2024 saying "the missing laptops, the missing minutes, President Cyril Ramaphosa WhatsApp's from his own personal devices are simply incongruent with the way in which the modern world works",[98] showing that the party does not believe that the ANC has entirely complied with the order of the Constitutional Court.
South Africa's links to Russia and China, through military co-operation[101] and potential co-operation with Iran[102] has placed the country in danger of losing its preferential access to the U.S. market through the African Growth and Opportunity Act, with multiple members of the U.S. Congress raising concern with South Africa's alleged threats to U.S. interests.[103][102] In response, the Leader of the Opposition, John Steenhuisen led a delegation arguing that "the ANC is not South Africa" in an effort to lessen the risk of a possible removal from AGOA.[103] Later, the Western Cape Premier, Alan Winde and a provincial delegation also made a trip to the United States to detail the possible impact that a loss would have on the agricultural industry in the province.[104] The Leader of the Opposition in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament, Cameron Dugmore (ANC) accused the provincial government of wasting public funds, saying "this trip was about the DA's desperation to secure support for the 2024 elections by creating a certain narrative about this matter".[105]
The Freedom Front Plus and the Referendum Party contested the election with Cape independence as part of their platform. The Referendum Party was formed in November 2023 as a single-issue political party aiming to pressure the Western Cape Democratic Alliance government into holding a referendum on Western Cape independence as part of any potential coalition agreement.[106] The Cape Independence Party, which had contested in 2009 and 2019, did not make it on to the national ballot or the Western Cape provincial ballot, while the Referendum Party made it on to all three.[107][108][109]
Highly contested provinces
Gauteng
Gauteng is the most populated province and is the de facto economic hub of South Africa. In 2019 the ANC had barely retained the province, getting 50.19% of the vote. The DA hoped to win Gauteng with Solly Msimanga as their premier candidate.[110] Funzi Ngobeni was ActionSA's premier candidate,[111] while the ANC's candidate was current premier, Panyaza Lesufi.
The ANC lost its majority in Gauteng, claiming under 35% of the vote, followed by the DA with just over 28%.
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is the second most populated province and is home to the busiest port in southern Africa. Recent polling has the new MK Party leading in the province, having grown substantially at the expense of ANC support. Christopher Pappas is the premier candidate for the DA, while Thami Ntuli was the IFP's candidate.[112][113] The ANC's premier candidate is Sbongiseni Duma. MK took 45.9% of the vote, leaving the ANC with only 17.6%, the DA not far behind.
Western Cape
As of April 2024, the Western Cape was the only province not to be controlled by the ANC. The DA, which has controlled the province since 2009, looked to retain the province with Premier Alan Winde as their premier candidate.[114]
The DA retained control of the Western Cape with a 53% majority.
Incidents
DA campaign video
In May 2024, the DA released a campaign video attacking the ANC and showing a South African flag on fire, saying that the same fate would befall the country should the ANC remain in power. The flag appears restored in the final seven seconds of the advert. DA leader John Steenhuisen described the video as "the most successful political advertisement in our democratic history," saying that it was seen by at least four million people online and heard by "millions more" in other media. President and ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa called the ad "despicable" and "treasonous", while the public broadcaster SABC announced that it would not air the video, saying that it would only fuel "outrage", and called on the DA to amend the advert.[115][116] Several analysts and organisations have noted that, although in "poor taste", the burning of the flag is protected under Section 16 of the Constitution as a freedom of expression.[117]
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on 13 May that he would sign the controversial National Health Insurance Bill into law on 15 May.[119] Civil society organisations, including the South African Medical Association, Business Unity South Africa, Business Leadership South Africa, Solidariteit, the SA Institute of Race Relations and the South African Health Professionals Collaboration have expressed dissatisfaction at this announcement, some hinting at possible legal challenges to the legislation following the president's assent.[120][121][122][123] The DA announced that it had briefed its legal team to file court papers at the Constitutional Court on the matter.[124]ActionSA expressed its disappointment on the president's announcement, having previously urged the President not to sign the Bill.[125]
On 26 May, the Presidency announced that Cyril Ramaphosa would address the nation at 6pm.[128] In his address, broadcast by the SABC, he listed the achievements of his government. The address was criticised by opposition parties as an abuse of government resources for electioneering in favour of the ruling party.[129]
Opinion polls
LOESS curve of the polling for the 2024 South African general election
Early voting for overseas citizens was held in South African diplomatic missions on 17 and 18 May.[34][132] Early voting for domestic voters was held on 27 May, covering 1.6 million people including essential workers and about 624,000 people unable to leave their homes.[133] On election day, polling in more than 23,000 precincts[134] opened at 07:00 and closed at 21:00.[135] Three thousand SANDF soldiers were deployed to ensure security during the election, while the Independent Electoral Commission said two people were arrested for interfering with voting operations.[136]Julius Malema voted in Limpopo after queuing for three hours.[137] Counting was delayed in several precincts due to last-minute queues of voters,[138] with the last ballots being cast at around 03:00 on 30 May as electoral law allows those still lining up to vote at regular closing time to participate.[139]
The African Union sent a mission led by former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta to monitor the election.[140] The voting was described as free and fair by the IEC and independent observers.[141]
The election resulted in a historic defeat for the ANC, which having received only 40% of the vote, lost the parliamentary majority that it held since 1994.[142][143] It also failed to secure a majority in Northern Cape and Gauteng, and was outpolled in KwaZulu-Natal by the MK. In overseas voting, the DA won 75.23% of the 39,084 votes cast and retained its majority in the Western Cape.[144] The ANC retained reduced majorities in Eastern Cape, Free State, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West and retained largest opposition status in Western Cape, while the DA retained its largest opposition status in the National Assembly. No overall majority was achieved in the National Assembly, nor in the provinces of KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng or Northern Cape, with the MK achieving a plurality in KwaZulu-Natal and the ANC being forced into second-largest party status in KwaZulu-Natal for the first time since it first won the province in 2004.[145] Most of the ANC's loss of support flowed into the MK, while the DA saw some gains, and the EFF lost some support.[146] The proportion of women members of the National Assembly remained at 45%, the same level as after the 2019 election.[147]
National Assembly
Vote plurality
African National Congress
Democratic Alliance
uMkhonto we Sizwe
Economic Freedom Fighters
Inkatha Freedom Party
Patriotic Alliance
Freedom Front Plus
Vote strength by municipalities and provinces (bottom right)
Following the results of the general election, the new provincial legislatures met on 13 and 14 June 2024 to elect NCOP delegations. The first sitting of the NCOP took place on 15 June 2024. The delegations elected are described in the following table. The proportion of women among the 54 permanent delegates to the NCOP, after the 2024 election, was 44%.[147]
The ANC won seven provinces out of nine, securing majorities in five of them except for the Northern Cape[148] and Gauteng,[149] where it earned pluralities. It performed best in Limpopo, the country's northernmost province, winning slightly less than three quarters of the vote.[150] The DA held on to the Western Cape, continuing its 15-year-rule over the province.[151] Finally, the new MK party flipped KwaZulu Natal from the ANC, earning 37 out of 80 seats to gain a plurality.[152] Women's average representation after the provincial elections was 44% in the provincial legislatures and 47% in the provincial executives. Only two out of the nine premiers were women, and only two out of the nine speakers in the legislatures were men.[147]
While counting was ongoing, the ANC said that its leadership would meet on 31 May to "reflect on what is good for the country." The DA's John Steenhuisen said that the results showed that South Africa was "heading into coalition country" and expressed a willingness to work alongside the ANC, adding that he would have to first consult with other signatories of the Multi-Party Charter.[153] The DA also said that a government composed of the ANC, the MK, and the EFF would be a "doomsday coalition" pursuing previous policy failures in the country. The EFF's Julius Malema said that the election results marked the end of the ANC's "entitlement of being the sole dominant party", adding that he was open to talks with the ANC on forming a coalition government. The Patriotic Alliance's Gayton McKenzie compared prospects of an ANC-DA coalition to "a marriage of two drunk people in Las Vegas" that would prove "unworkable".[154]
Gwede Mantashe, the ANC's national chair, said that the party had started to conduct informal talks with other parties for a possible coalition.[155] On 2 June, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula announced the official opening of negotiations,[156] adding that the party had heard the popular will and was "humbled" by the election result. Mbalula also said that the ANC would reject conditions by other parties for Cyril Ramaphosa to step down as president.[157] In his first statement following the election later that day, Ramaphosa called on political parties to overcome their differences and find "common ground" in creating a coalition government.[158] Separate coalition talks were expected to occur regarding the provincial governments of KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Northern Cape.[159][160][161]
On 4 June, the ANC released an internal document which advised for a coalition with both the DA and IFP. The document also stated that the ANC "should not consider" an alliance with either the EFF or the MK.[162] On 5 June, the ANC formally announced that it was seeking to create a national unity government, with spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri saying that the party had discussions with the DA, the EFF and three other smaller parties, but received no positive response from the MK.[163][164] These discussions, which were still in the early stages, will continue, with the ANC framing them as an attempt to form a government of "national unity" and not just as an option for a formal coalition.[164] On 6 June, the MK confirmed that it was engaged in negotiations with the ANC.[165] On 12 June, the IFP said that it was willing to join a unity government that included the ANC and the DA.[166] On 13 June, the ANC announced that the DA and several other parties had agreed on the "fundamental" principle of forming the national unity government, with a framework to be disclosed on 14 June.[167] On 14 June, John Steenhuisen announced that the DA had entered into a coalition agreement with the ANC and provided its support for Ramaphosa's reelection as president. The Patriotic Alliance also provided its support.[168] This coalition agreement was also confirmed by ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula, who described it as a "remarkable step."[4] The "fundamental" principles of what was to become a grand coalition was set by a written agreement dated 17 June 2024 between ANC and DA, referred to as the Statement of Intent.[169]
On 6 June, ActionSA announced they would leave the Multi-Party Charter as the party believed some member parties had breached the agreement by considering forming a coalition with the ANC.[31] This decision reduced the charter's seat count from 119 to 113 in the 400-seat National Assembly.[170]
First sitting of parliament
On 10 June, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo declared that the first sitting of the new National Assembly would occur on 14 June, during which elections for parliamentary speaker and president would be held.[171] The session proceeded as scheduled, with the ANC's Thoko Didiza being elected parliamentary speaker after she defeated the Economic Freedom Fighters' Veronica Mente with 284 votes to 49.[172][173][174] The same day, the National Assembly re-elected Ramaphosa as President of South Africa after defeating Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema with 283 votes to 54.[175][5] The DA's Annelie Lotriet was elected Deputy Speaker after defeating the African Transformation Movement's Vuyo Zungula with 273 votes to 54.[176] Lotriet became the first non-ANC member to hold the position of Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly since Bhadra Ranchod,[177] who served as Deputy Speaker between 1994 and 1996.[178]
In an interview on SABC News' Face the Nation current affairs programme, DA Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille said in reference to the Patriotic Alliance admission: "So you can't just let anybody come in without consulting with us and then he makes the appointments in consultation with the leaders of the parties who have been accepted for admission".[181] Zille specifically referred to Clause 17 of the Statement of Intent, which governs the President's powers in appointing an Executive. Clauses 18 and 19 of the statement deal with the concept of "sufficient consensus", which among other points, only exists when "parties to the GNU representing 60% of the seats in the National Assembly agree".[169]
Other parties to join the national unity government are GOOD, shortly after the first sitting of parliament, the PAC, on the 19th, and the FF+ on the 20th of June. The UDM decided to join on the 21st, Rise Mzansi on the 22nd, Al Jama-ah on the 23rd, and UAT on the 30th of June 2024.[182][183] This brought the GNU to 288 seats in the 400 seat parliament (72%). On 12 July 2024 the UAT withdrew from the GNU, because it did not receive any positions in the Cabinet.[184] This does not adjust the 72% of GNU seats in parliament.
The DA reportedly requested 10 posts in the cabinet, including the ministries of Communication and digital technology, Trade and industry, Transport, Public service and administration, Water and sanitation, Local government and Health, as well as deputy minister posts of finance and health. In addition, the DA requested that John Steenhuisen be designated as deputy president over ANC incumbent Paul Mashatile. The ANC rejected most of the requests on the grounds of multiple other parties joining the coalition negotiations, instead agreeing to up to five cabinet positions for the DA. The DA's negotiators, including Steenhuisen and Tony Leon, considered withdrawing, but instead agreed to keep negotiations open with the ANC.[185][186]
On 30 June, Ramaphosa unveiled his new 32-member cabinet, with the ANC holding 20 posts, the DA holding six, and the remainder being held by other coalition members. John Steenhuisen was appointed as agriculture minister, while the leaders of four other parties were also named ministers.[187] In addition, 42 deputy ministers were named from among the coalition parties.
In the 6th Parliament's final session, the National Assembly voted to establish the Electoral Reform Consultation Panel to independently investigate and recommend potential reforms to South Africa's electoral system.[188]
Provincial formations
Despite gains in KwaZulu-Natal province during the general election, Jacob Zuma's MK party suffered a major setback in its heartland province on 14 June after the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislative opted to elect IFP member Thami Ntuli over an MK candidate as Premier of KwaZulu-Natal.[189][190] Ntuli defeated the MK Party's premier candidate, Zulu Nation's deputy prime minister Phathisizwe Chiliza, with 41 votes to 39.[191] Ntuli took office and appointed his cabinet on 18 June,[192] making him the first IFP member to serve as Premier of KwaZulu-Natal since 2004.[193]
Allegations of misconduct
On 1 June, Jacob Zuma said that the MK was seeking to have the announcement of official results legally halted pending investigations over allegations of vote-rigging raised by the party, with MK officials citing possible tampering of the Independent Electoral Commission's computer system following glitches earlier that day. The IEC said it had received 579 objections from both voters and political parties regarding the election results,[194] and ordered recounts in 24 cases.[156] Police Minister Bheki Cele warned that authorities would not tolerate "threats of instability in order to register objections or concerns about the electoral processes".[195]
The MK later filed a petition asking the Constitutional Court to halt the opening session of the new National Assembly on 14 June,[196] adding that it would boycott the meeting.[197] On 13 June, the Constitutional Court dismissed the petition, allowing the session to proceed.[198] The MK continued to boycott parliamentary proceedings until 26 June, when its MPs finally took their oath as members of the National Assembly.[199]
The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election resulted in Nelson Mandela being elected as President of South Africa. Cyril Ramaphosa, the incumbent national President, has served as President of the ANC since 18 December 2017.
The Parliament of the Republic of South Africa is South Africa's legislature. It is located in Cape Town, the country's legislative capital.
The Freedom Front Plus is a right-wing political party in South Africa that was formed in 1994. It is led by Pieter Groenewald. Since 2024, it is a part of the current South African government of national unity together with the African National Congress (ANC), the Democratic Alliance and other parties.
Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa is a South African businessman and politician serving as the 5th and current President of South Africa since 2018. A former anti-apartheid activist and trade union leader, Ramaphosa is also the president (leader) of the African National Congress (ANC).
The National Assembly is the directly elected house of the Parliament of South Africa, located in Cape Town, Western Cape. It consists of four hundred members who are elected every five years using a party-list proportional representation system where half of the members are elected proportionally from nine provincial lists and the remaining half from national lists so as to restore proportionality.
South Africa since 1994 transitioned from the system of apartheid to one of majority rule. The election of 1994 resulted in a change in government with the African National Congress (ANC) coming to power. The ANC retained power after subsequent elections in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, and 2019. Children born during this period are known as the born-free generation, and those aged eighteen or older, were able to vote for the first time in 2014.
Samson Gwede Mantashe is a South African politician and former trade unionist who is currently serving as the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources. He has been responsible for the mineral resources portfolio since February 2018, formerly as Minister of Mineral Resources from February 2018 to May 2019 and then as Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy from May 2019 to June 2024. He is also serving his second term as the national chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC).
John Henry Steenhuisen is a South African politician who is currently serving as Minister of Agriculture since July 2024. He has been the leader of the Democratic Alliance (DA) since November 2020, having served as the interim leader for one year from November 2019. He served as the twentieth leader of the Opposition from October 2019 to June 2024. Pursuant to the 2024 South African general election, he was appointed to the third cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa when the DA joined the Government of National Unity (GNU).
General elections were held in South Africa on 7 May 2014, to elect a new National Assembly and new provincial legislatures in each province. It was the fifth election held in South Africa under conditions of universal adult suffrage since the end of the apartheid era in 1994, and also the first held since the death of Nelson Mandela. It was also the first time that South African expatriates were allowed to vote in a South African national election.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) is a South African communist and black nationalist political party. It was founded by expelled former African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) president Julius Malema, and his allies, on 26 July 2013. Malema is president of the EFF, heading the Central Command Team, which serves as the central structure of the party. It is currently the fourth-largest party in the National Assembly.
General elections were held in South Africa on 8 May 2019 to elect a new President, National Assembly and provincial legislatures in each province. These were the sixth elections held since the end of apartheid in 1994 and determined who would become the next President of South Africa.
The 54th National Conference of the African National Congress (ANC) took place from 16 to 20 December 2017 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre in Nasrec, Gauteng. At the conference, the ANC elected its National Executive Committee (NEC) and other top internal leaders. Often referred to as the Nasrec Conference, it was held during the centenary of the birth of former ANC President Oliver Tambo and was convened under the theme, "Remember Tambo: Towards Unity, Renewal and Radical Socioeconomic Transformation."
The 2021 South African Municipal Elections were held on 1 November 2021, to elect councils for all district, metropolitan and local municipalities in each of the country's nine provinces. Being the 6th municipal election held in South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994. These held - since then -every five years. The previous municipal elections were held in 2016. On 21 April 2021, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the elections to be held on Wednesday, 27 October 2021. It had been recommend by Dikgang Moseneke to delay the municipal elections until 2022. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) requested the Constitutional Court to support the date postponement. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) supported the date postponement while the Democratic Alliance (DA) was against the postponement of the date. The Constitutional Court dismissed the application to postpone the date until 2022, ruling that they had to take place between 27 October and 1 November. On 9 September 2021, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced that the elections would be held on 1 November.
Mzwandile Collen Masina is a South African politician from Gauteng who has represented the African National Congress (ANC) in the National Assembly since June 2024. He is the chairperson of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Trade, Industry and Competition. He was formerly the Mayor of Ekurhuleni from 2016 to 2021 and the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry from 2014 to 2016.
Mervyn Alexander Dirks is a South African politician who served as a Member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature from June 2023 until February 2024. A former member of the African National Congress, he previously served as a member of the National Assembly from May 2014 to January 2023.
uMkhonto weSizwe, abbreviated as MK, and often referred to as the MK Party, is a left-wing populist South African political party, founded in December 2023. The party is named after uMkhonto weSizwe, the paramilitary wing of the African National Congress (ANC) which was active during the apartheid regime in South Africa. However, the ANC has threatened legal action over the usage of the name, and the formation has been criticised by original MK veterans.
The 2024 KwaZulu-Natal provincial election was held on 29 May 2024, concurrently with the 2024 South African general election, to elect the 80 members of the 7th KwaZulu-Natal Legislature. The new MK party flipped KwaZulu Natal from the ANC, earning 37 out of 80 seats to gain a plurality. Conversely, the ANC itself plummeted to the third place, losing its majority in the legislature for the first time since 2004.
The third cabinet of Cyril Ramaphosa, also known as the Government of National Unity (GNU), is the incumbent cabinet of the Government of South Africa. It was appointed on 30 June 2024 after Ramaphosa's African National Congress (ANC) lost its absolute majority in the May 2024 general election and formed a ten-member coalition government.
The Progressive Caucus is a political alliance in the Parliament of South Africa, which formed in opposition to the Government of National Unity (GNU).
↑ Steenhuisen, John (5 April 2024). "Vote DA to rescue South Africa from the ANC-EFF-MK Doomsday coalition". Democratic Alliance. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024. Forces of destruction in the ANC, EFF and their proxies in small parties like the Patriotic Alliance, were converging towards forming a Doomsday Coalition after the 2024 general election. A year down the line, and this initiative – now known as the Multi-Party Charter (MPC) – has made tremendous progress in forging a common vision and strong bonds.
1 2 Beaumont, Michael (6 June 2024). "Post-Senate Briefing and the Way Forward for ActionSA". ActionSA. Archived from the original on 6 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024. ActionSA's Senate has deliberated on our relationship with other political parties going forward. This process has resolved that ActionSA will leave the Multi-Party Charter because of the serious breach by those parties who publicly signed and campaigned under an agreement which expressly ruled out working relationships with the ANC.
↑ "Land Audit Report"(PDF). Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. November 2017. Archived(PDF) from the original on 15 May 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
1 2 "2024 Election Manifesto"(PDF). Economic Freedom Fighters. 10 February 2024. Archived(PDF) from the original on 9 March 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
↑ Several news media sources reported the same poll data, but with varying amounts of attribution to IPSOS and/or the Inclusive Society Institute — and not all of them explicitly lists the date the polling was conducted on, which may lead to the mistaken impression that these articles represent more than one poll taken at different times:
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The ANC's seat loss by region and national ballot
The ANC's performance by region
The DA's performance by region
The MK's performance by region
The EFF's performance by region
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South Africaportal 
