Ramaphosa facing calls for his resignation after dismal ANC election results

With the African National Congress (ANC) losing its majority in an historic election result that puts South Africa on a new political path, President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to face pressure to resign.

This is according to an insider who spoke to the City Press.

With the votes counted and results expected to be announced by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on Sunday, the once-dominant ANC has received just over 40% in Wednesday’s elections, well short of the majority it had previously held since the dawn of democracy in 1994.

Ramaphosa’s resignation  

According to an ANC insider, the party’s fall from majority rule has created a dilemma for its leadership who have to now consider going into a coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA).

“There’s a strong feeling that we can’t inaugurate Ramaphosa as president on 22 June,” the ANC insider told City Press as the final results trickled in on Saturday with anguished ANC members pondering on the devastating loss the party had suffered in the elections.

According to the paper, discussions are already underway between senior leaders in the ANC, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party to form a coalition, but Ramaphosa is not part of them.

The planned talks with the DA are also dependent on party leader John Steenhuisen receiving a mandate to formally negotiate.

Steenhuisen told the publication the DA is still committed to the Multi-Party Charter (MPC) agreement. However, if the other parties within the MPC were unwilling to negotiate, the DA would consider a coalition with the ANC.

The DA leader said negotiations with the ANC would include amending legislation around the National Health Insurance (NHI) and the Basic Education Laws Amendment (BELA) Bill.

ALSO READ: Zuma at IEC: ‘Nobody is going to announce the results tomorrow’

Ramaphosa confidence

A tweet from ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula on Saturday said: “We will talk tomorrow sekuselekancane (it’s late).

Mbalula is expected to address the media on the elections results at the IEC results operation centre (ROC) on Sunday.

On election day, when Ramaphosa and first lady Tshepo Motsepe cast their ballots at the Hitekani Primary School in Chiawelo, Soweto, he expressed confidence South Africans would give the ANC a majority in the elections.

“The people of South Africa will give the ANC as they vote today a firm majority. So, in my mind, in my head and in my though processes there isn’t even a doubt about that.”

Watch: Ramaphosa speaking about the ANC getting a majority in the elections

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa is done voting and he says he remains confident that South Africans will yet again vote for the ANC to continue governing the country. pic.twitter.com/BABwLDtZ3i

— Kgothatso Madisa (@kgmadisa) May 29, 2024

ANC campaign

This was also echoed by him during the ANC’s election campaign when he poked fun at the opposition.  

“There are those who go around, various political parties who go around and are our opponents. They run around the country like little brakkies, running around and saying all manner of things saying nweh, nweh, nweh (sic).

“They are saying that the ANC is going to be below 50%. I want to give them a very clear message. The workers of this country, the people of this country are not going to allow the ANC to go below 50%,” Ramaphosa said.

With the ANC now well below that 50% mark and his predecessor former president’s Jacob Zuma’s MK party taking over 14% of the Ramaphosa is a worried man as his future as president of the country hangs on a tightrope.

ALSO READ: Can MK party survive when Zuma is no longer around?