Cyril Ramaphosa was elected president by an overwhelming majority, Thoko Didiza of the ANC as speaker, and Annelie Lotriet of the DA as deputy speaker.
After thirty years of ANC domination, there was a peaceful transfer of power to a coalition government in which minority groups also have a say.
The words, attitude, and body language of both the ANC and DA leaders were noticeably different yesterday. If this is sustained, politics in South Africa will soon become very different.
Just before midnight, Ramaphosa said in his acceptance message that it is a new birth, a new era, an era of hope and inclusivity.
The coalition will function based on a written statement of intent. The principle of sufficient consensus will apply. A consultative body will be established, and there are established mechanisms to resolve conflicts.
The coalition agreement between the ANC, DA, and IFP immediately filtered down to the provinces. Together, the three parties succeeded in keeping Jacob Zuma's MKP out of power in KZN. The ANC's Thami Nthuli is the new premier of KZN, even though MKP received 45% of the votes. In Gauteng, the DA helped Panyaza Lesufi to be re-elected as premier.
The MKP boycotted yesterday's proceedings at the Cape Town International Convention Centre because they contest the election results but, strangely enough, took their seats in the provincial legislature in KZN.
The once confident EFF (39 seats), whose support in the election dropped to 9.5%, withdrew to a “progressive caucus” along with the UDM (3), al Jama-ah (2), United African Transformation (1), and African Transformation Movement (2). If MKP soon allows their members to be sworn in and joins this caucus, they will collectively have 105 out of 400 votes in the national assembly, thus 26%.
Julius Malema was nominated by the UDM as a candidate for the presidency, seconded by the ATM. He only got 44 votes. Ramaphosa's candidacy was seconded by the IFP.
The EFF's stance has consistently been that they refuse to participate in a coalition government if the DA is also part of it. And now the DA is at the head table, and the EFF is not.
Gayton McKenzie of the Patriotic Alliance, with 9 seats, said last night that the coalition government is the “best deal” for South Africa and that the party will support it, even if he does not get the position of Minister of Home Affairs.
With the PA and Rise Mzansi formally part of the coalition, it represents 68.4% of the votes cast in the election.
The ANC and the DA call their coalition government, a government of national unity, but with only five of the 19 parties in parliament in the coalition, it might not be entirely appropriate.
FF+ and ActionSA, each with six seats and both members of the now-dissolved Multiparty Charter, are not part of the coalition agreement, but will likely vote mostly in favour of the new government.
The DA leader, John Steenhuisen, said yesterday afternoon in a conciliatory, statesmanlike speech that his party will henceforth be co-governors.“The DA regards it as its patriotic duty to meet the demands of history in South Africa’s hour of need,” he said.
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