The African National Congress, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, had only 40.2% of the total votes counted as of Wednesday night, a precipitous decline from the 57.5 percent it had secured in 2019.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula stated at a press conference, “The ANC is committed to the formation of a government that reflects the will of the people, that is stable, and that is able to govern effectively.”
To enable Ramaphosa to create a minority administration in parliament, the party needs to construct a coalition government or convince others to support his re-election.
The ANC will have talks “over the next few days” with other factions and internally, according to Mbalula.
Since 1994, when national liberation hero Nelson Mandela led the country out of white-minority rule and into democracy, the party has enjoyed an absolute majority, making this a historic turning point for South Africa.