WE HAVE A HUNG PARLIAMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa is under a hung Parliament now.

This after the 29 May general elections failed to produce a winner with an outright majority.

According to the Constitution, all people and party representatives who, after a general election have been allotted seats in Parliament, shall meet after 14 days in Parliament to first elect the Speaker of Parliament, then the President of the country.

Since the dawn of democracy in 1994, this process has been easy, but this time around it is going to be a tough encounter as there is no party which has been given majority powers by the South African electorate.

Though the ANC won the popular vote by 40,2%, the Constitution demands that for any party to form a government, it must amass 50+1 % of the votes cast during the elections.

This means parties will have to engage in the proverbial “wheeling and dealing” among themselves before ultimately choosing the country’s president.

“Whether you like it or not, our people have spoken and we have heard their voices and respect their choices,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa at the IECs Results Operations Centre ( ROC) on Sunday, which is the venue where the 2024 general elections results were formally announced.

“Results of the elections represent the will of the people and we must act and work together for the good of everyone,” he said.

“We must address our problems peacefully within the confines of the law and the Constitution to bring about an inclusive, united and prosperous country,” said the President.

“The seats that we have acquired as members of Parliament don’t belong to us but they belong to the people of South Africa,” he said.

“This is the time to put South Africa first and let us pray that God blesses South Africa,” said Ramaphosa.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya said the following: “This is a moment of victory for all South Africans and despite many challenges, the IEC has acquitted itself well to produce free, fair and peaceful elections.”

Reacting to the ANC’s dismal performance in the elections, the party’s Secretary General Fikile Mbalula said: “We suffered badly but we are not out and the ANC will carry on with its task of organisational renewal, which entails getting rid of corrupt elements in the party.”

“The people of South Africa have sent a strong message to the ANC through these election results and we say to the people of South Africa that we have heard you,” said Mbalula.

“On Tuesday President Cyril Ramaphosa will be at the Luthuli House to thank those who voted for the ANC in the elections, but the occasion will not be a celebration as there is nothing to celebrate,” said Mbalula.

EFF leader Julius Malema was quoted in the Zimbabwe-based Herald online newspaper as saying the ANC will be less arrogant now and that his party was happy to have contributed to the ANC’s demise and failure to make it to the 50+1% mark.

AZAPO’S reaction to the election results was as follows: “Azapo remains a victim of the phenomenon of negative confidence in the ANC by voters.”

The statement says Azapo is not in the picture now despite its hard work in these elections but always explains to those who care to listen that the reason for Azapo’s existence is not elections and that Azapo was there long before elections.

“Being temporarily outside Parliament is not the end of the road and as a matter of fact it is Azapo’s revolutionary existence that helped to bring about elections and democracy to this country,” concluded the statement.

Meanwhile Sizwe Ummah Nation (SUN) Party Spokesperson Phathiwe Ndleleni told Tshwane Talks that the IEC is biased and that it is working for certain individuals.

She said despite a letter of grievances sent to the IEC on Saturday demanding a re-election, the IEC disregarded the letter and went ahead to announce the outcomes of the elections on Sunday.

“What’s the rush because the IEC has seven days within which to announce the results, but instead rushed to announce the results without addressing our grievances?,” fumed Ndleleni.

SUN Party is part of a group of aggrieved parties that served a letter of demand to the IEC via Baruchowitz Attorneys wherein the electoral body was warned not to release the results of the elections because there were irregularities at certain voting stations which affected the aggrieved parties negatively in the elections.

Ndleleni cited incidents in Western Cape and Mpumalanga where people who actually voted for SUN Party were not recorded as having voted.

“Something was not right with these elections and they were not fair at all as they were rigged,” said Ndleleni.

The aggrieved parties who make up the group that sent a letter of demand to the IEC include Cope, Xiluva, SUN Party, ATM and OHM.

Political parties that will be going to Parliament are ANC, PAC, DA, MK, EFF, IFP, VF PLUS, UDM, ATM, BOSA, PA, ActionSA and ACDP.

ANC got 40,2% of the national vote, DA 21,8%, MK 14,6,% and EFF 9,5%.

The DA won the overseas vote by an overwhelming 75%.

Provincial Legislature winners are as follows: KZN by MK 44,91%, Gauteng by ANC 34,6%, Eastern Cape by ANC 64,2%, Free State by ANC 52,56%, Mpumalanga by ANC 51,31%, Northern Cape by ANC 49,47%, Limpopo by ANC 73,38%, North West by ANC 58,29% and Western Cape by DA 55,29%.

The ANC got 28 seats in the Gauteng Legislature due to the 34,76% of the votes it managed to acquire.

Parties trailing the ANC in the Gauteng Provincial Legislsture election results are DA 27,44% with 22 seats, EFF 12,93% with 11 seats, MK with 8 seats, ActionSA with 3 seats, Patriotic Alliance with 2 seats, VF Plus with 2 seats, ACDP with 1 seat, BOSA with 1 seat, IFP with1 seat and Rise Mzansi with 1 seat as well.