Ramaphosa Stresses ANC Will Not Beg, Borrow or Steal for Coalitions: 'Not at All'
- President Cyril Ramaphosa is confident the ANC will not go knocking on other parties' doors for a coalition
- Despite support for the party dipping to below 50 percent of the vote, Ramaphosa said it is not desperate
- The governing party secured only 46 percent of the ballots, six percent less compared to 2016
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
JOHANNESBURG - President Cyril Ramaphosa cut an adamant figure when he declared that the African National Congress (ANC) will not go out of its way to enter into a coalition government.
Ramaphosa was addressing a group gathered at an event in Soweto on Monday, according to a SABC News report, which noted that the president thanked volunteers and others who voted for the party at the recent local government elections on 1 November.
Source: Twitter
Glaringly for the ruling party, for the first time in South Africa's democratic history, its share of the vote fell below 50 percent, with political parties now scrambling to form coalitions in hung councils.
However, Ramaphosa said his party will not implore other parties for an alliance, adding that the party was not desperate to do so, IOL reported.
PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel!
"Let it be clear that we will not enter into a coalition at all costs ... We are not on our knees. If comrades must be in opposition, then we will be in opposition," said Ramaphosa, admitting that voters had punished the ANC at the polls.
ANC support dips below 50 percent
The party secured only 46 percent of the ballots, dipping below the 54 percent it garnered in 2016 at polling stations nationwide.
Support for the official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA) also took a hit, dropping to 21.8 percent of the vote compared to 27percent five years ago.
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) appeared to improve voter confidence marginally as the party garnered 10.4 percent of the national vote, a percentage increase of 2.2 percent.
EFF releases statement outlining demands for ANC before coalitions
In a related news story, Briefly News recently reported that the EFF issued a statement listing the conditions they want the ANC to agree to before they are prepared to enter a coalition with the ruling party.
Their statement, which is two pages long, not only lists the EFF's demands but states that timeframes must be drawn up to ensure that the ANC is held accountable for any promises they make.
In the next two weeks, political parties in hung councils are mandated to hold talks with one another and reach agreements so that they can start governing in their specific areas, News24 reported.
Source: Briefly News
