South Africa’s primary opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), along with six other political parties, has announced their intention to engage in discussions to establish a pact aimed at removing the ANC from government in the upcoming elections next year.
Notably absent from this group is the Economic Freedom Fighters, the country’s third largest political party, which holds a more progressive position compared to the ANC.
The ANC, which played a pivotal role in the fight against apartheid and has held power for nearly three decades, has experienced a gradual decline in its level of support in recent years.
In the last municipal elections held in 2021, which is the most recent nationwide vote, the ANC secured a vote share of less than 50%.
The seven opposition parties hoping to agree on a pact have said in a joint statement that “the incumbent governing party is set to lose its majority when voters go to the polls next year”.
Taking this into consideration, their objective is to present a cohesive and robust alliance that is characterized by stability, viability, and effectiveness. To achieve this, they have scheduled a two-day meeting next month to negotiate and finalize an agreement.
However, the absence of the EFF, which garnered a 10% share in the 2019 general election, poses a significant challenge in their quest to secure over 50% of the votes in the upcoming elections.