By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is set for re-election as president after the country’s second biggest party said it would back the African National Congress (ANC) leader following a government of national unity deal.
Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen said his party had formally signed an agreement with the ANC, and part of the agreement was Ramaphosa would be president.
“The DA has reached agreement on the statement of intent for the formation of a government of national unity,” he said, adding that the DA would join the ruling ANC and the IFP.
It was signed by Fikile Mbalula, the ANC’s secretary-general, and Helen Zille, the chairperson of the DA’s federal council.
Lawmakers are due to elect a president later in the day and the ANC and DA together have a majority of lawmakers that would see the 71-year-old return for a second term.
In the May 29 polls, the ANC garnered 40 percent of the vote, followed by the DA with 21 percent.
Two smaller parties, the socially conservative Inkatha Freedom Party and the right-wing Patriotic Alliance, will also take part in the coalition government, He said.
“At the heart of this GNU statement, is a shared respect for, and defence of, our Constitution and the rule of law, including the Bill of Rights – in its entirety,” he said.
“It is a document that is realistic about the need for mechanisms to deal with the disagreements that will inevitably arise in a multiparty government, adopting the threshold of ‘sufficient consensus’ that served our country well during the CODESA negotiations.”
South Africa has not faced this level of political uncertainty since the ANC swept to power in the first all-race election in 1994, ending nearly a half-century of white minority rule under the apartheid system of racial segregation.
The ANC has held a clear majority in parliament ever since then, meaning elections for president were formalities and every South African leader since has been from the ANC, starting with Nelson Mandela.