SOUTH Africa’s Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) announced on Wednesday that it will join a unity government with the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA). This decision comes as parties rush to finalise a deal before the newly elected parliament convenes on Friday.
The ANC, which lost its majority in May’s election for the first time since the end of apartheid 30 years ago, has been negotiating with various parties to establish a government of national unity. Business leaders and financial markets have shown support for a potential deal between the ANC and the DA, despite opposition from some ANC supporters who criticise the DA’s perceived defence of white privilege, a claim the DA denies.
Analysts believe that including the IFP, a conservative party with a strong Zulu base, could alleviate some concerns about the ANC-DA partnership. The final composition of the government has not yet been announced, but comments from IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa provided the clearest indication of the current negotiations.
‘We will participate in the government of national unity for the sake of our country and for the sake of our people, who want life to continue with a stable government that will address their challenges,’ Hlabisa said at a news conference.
The ANC and the DA have not yet responded to requests for comment. The ANC remains the largest party with 159 seats in the 400-member national legislature. Its nearest rivals are the pro-business, white-led DA with 87 seats, the populist uMkhonto we Sizwe led by former President Jacob Zuma with 58 seats, and the hard-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) with 39 seats. The IFP holds 17 seats.
If the DA is included in the government, it is likely the EFF will not participate. The EFF, which advocates for the nationalisation of banks and mines, has stated it will withdraw if the unity government includes the DA.
Parties are working to finalise an agreement before Friday when the National Assembly will meet to elect its speaker, deputy speaker, and the country’s president. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to be re-elected given the ANC’s majority, but key positions such as speaker of parliament and deputy president are still under negotiation.
Despite the MK party, led by Jacob Zuma, coming in third in the election, they have approached the constitutional court to block the National Assembly from sitting on Friday, alleging vote-rigging. However, the Independent Electoral Commission and other parties have declared the election free and fair, and South Africa has no significant history of vote fraud.
