The African National Congress and its main opposition, the Democratic Alliance, along with the smaller Inkatha Freedom Party, have agreed to form a government of national unity.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa raises his hand as he is sworn is as a member of Parliament ahead of an expected vote by lawmakers to decide if he is reelected as leader of the country in Cape Town, South Africa, Friday. At right is Pemmy Majodina, a lawmaker with his African National Congress party.
Will it be “good gnus or bad gnus?” has been a joke making the rounds in South Africa the past two weeks — playing on the initials of government of national unity — as political parties engaged in lengthy backroom talks to form a GNU or coalition of some sort, a necessity after theThe announcement came during the first sitting for parliament in Cape Town, where lawmakers were sworn in and are now set to vote for a president.
Steenhuisen addressed the press Friday calling the deal “a new chapter in our history” and noting that while the road ahead may be difficult, “the people have also told us that a time for a new politics of collaboration and problem solving has arrived." The MK actually did surprisingly well in the polls, getting over 14.5% of the vote and eating into the ANC's support. It was Zuma’s ultimate revenge on the party that forced him to resign as president in disgrace amid multiple corruption scandals in 2018. He was replaced by Ramaphosa, who vowed to clean up the ANC.
Local press and numerous South Africans on social media have also noted how maturely and calmly the ANC has handled their poor election results and subsequent negotiations — despite Zuma’s attempts to sow discord — making comparisons to the aftermath of the last U.S. elections and attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6,There was much pomp and ceremony as Parliament met, with a choir singing and attendants ululating.
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