In the 30 years since the white minority rule system ended, the party of Nelson Mandela, the African National Congress (ANC), has ruled the country by majority in the National Assembly.
South Africa's new coalition government includes the first white politicians since the end of apartheid in 1994.
The dramatic late coalition deal allowed a new government to be formed under the leadership of the ANC’s Cyril Ramaphosa. In his victory speech, Mr Ramaphosa hailed the new coalition, and said voters expected the leaders to 'to act and to work together for the good of everyone in our country'. John Steenhuisen, leader of the DA — a party that opposed the apartheid government in the whites-only parliament at the time — told reporters the deal was a 'historical' moment for the country, which would allow his party to now 'co-govern'
Pictured: Nelson Mandela , accompanied by his wife Winnie, walks out of the Victor Verster prison, near Cape Town, after spending 27 years in apartheid jails, February 11, 1990 Julius Malema , the leader of the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters opposition party, was defeated by Mr Ramaphosa in a vote to be president by 283 to 44Thousands of protesters march for the release of anti-apartheid activist, Nelson Mandela, Johannesburg, South Africa, 1987Mr Ramaphosa, 71, won the vote against a surprise candidate who was also nominated in parliament – Julius Malema, the leader of the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters.
A woman cleans a pot in the kitchen of a restaurant in Alexandra township on May 31, 2024 in Johannesburg 'The government of national unity is on track,' ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said. 'For the interest of the country, we said let's work together. We have no fear of that.' The DA backed Mr Ramaphosa under the agreement and because the two parties have a clear joint majority of seats in Parliament, Mr Ramaphosa's reelection was assured.
Parliament convened in an unusual setting after a fire in 2022 gutted the National Assembly building in Cape Town and lawmakers came together at a conference centre near the city's waterfront.
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