ANC in alliance talks, says Ramaphosa stays

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has begun talks with rivals to form a government after losing a parliamentary majority it had held since Nelson Mandela led it to power at the end of apartheid in 1994.

Mbalula said his party will assess all options, including the eventuality that a coalition agreement can’t be reached, which could necessitate a rerun of the election. It won’t, however, entertain demands by Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party that its support is contingent on Ramaphosa’s exit from office. Most of the seats lost by the ANC were taken up by Zuma’s party.

The electoral commission officially announced the results on Sunday evening, notwithstanding Zuma’s demand that they delay to review its allegations of voter irregularities.“This was a theatre of openness,” said Sy Mamabolo, the electoral commission’s chief electoral officer. “Our democracy has spoken; indeed the people have expressed their political choices through the ballot box. We must now act to honour the choice of the voter.

The extent of the ANC’s loss leaves it with the choice of turning to the DA, which Ramaphosa’s allies favour, or seeking an alliance on the left with either Zuma’s party or the populist Economic Freedom Fighters .The DA agreed on Sunday to open talks with other parties to avoid what it refers to as a Doomsday Coalition – one that would group the ANC with Zuma’s party and the leftist EFF.

EFF leader Julius Malema, who established the party in 2013 after he was expelled from the ANC, said he’s open to cooperating with it.The ANC is considering a wide range of options that would allow it to work with rivals, with people familiar with the situation saying the possibility of appointing a finance minister from outside of the party is being considered.

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