Africa

South Africa’s Ramaphosa elected president

Published

1 year ago

June 15, 2024

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa

South Africa’s Ramaphosa elected president

Cape Town, South Africa – Late-night negotiations and an eleventh-hour agreement led to the formation of South Africa’s first-ever coalition government on Friday, with President Cyril Ramaphosa at its head.

The multiparty coalition signed its agreement only on Friday, as members of parliament were sworn in after marathon negotiations and back-and-forth calls between Ramaphosa and leaders of other parties.

Late Friday night, Ramaphosa was elected as the country’s president in parliament. Under the unprecedented coalition agreement, the Democratic Alliance (DA) – the African National Congress’s (ANC) official opposition until now – and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) voted for an ANC president for the first time.

The multiparty coalition was prompted after the ANC suffered its worst electoral decline in 30 years. The party holds 159 of 400 seats in parliament – short of the 201 seats needed to have a majority – after winning 40 percent of the vote in the country’s May 29 election.

After days of internal talks within the ANC, Ramaphosa announced last week that the party would seek a “government of national unity”. But the left-leaning Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe (MK Party) – which was created months before the election and ate into the ANC’s traditional voter support – refused to join the government, especially with the DA a part of it. The MK Party had also demanded Ramaphosa’s removal from the presidency.

The right-leaning DA, with 21 percent of the seats in parliament, will now be the ANC’s main partner in government with the support of the nationalist IFP. The parties agreed to an eight-page framework that will govern their unity government, including a clause stating that a decision could only be made if “sufficient consensus” was reached.

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This means that Ramaphosa and the ANC will not be able to make decisions without buy-in from coalition partners. The parties agreed to 10 fundamental principles, which included respect for the constitution, and positions against racism and sexism.

In the agreement signed, the parties agreed that “rapid, inclusive and sustainable economic growth” would be the coalition government’s apex priority.

The ‘hard part’ starts now

Former DA leader and negotiating team member Tony Leon said that he had never imagined a world where the ANC and the DA would co-govern.

“The last time I negotiated with the ANC around the new constitution was in 1996, and they had 62 percent support,” he told Al Jazeera.

Leon described the talks since the May 29 vote as “very hard”, but said the president’s election was the “easy part”.

“The next five years are going to be difficult,” he said, adding that trust would make the coalition government functional.

Leon said talks were still incomplete five minutes before parliament’s sitting began on Friday at 10am local time (08:00 GMT).

“We agreed to outline a modality of how you get through today and some signals and signposts of the future. It is about some broad principles and important provisions; at the end of the day, this will not just depend on goodwill. It will depend on trust between the parties,” he said.

The agreement signed on Friday morning did not include details on which parties will occupy what positions in government. Ramaphosa has until Wednesday to determine that. He will be sworn in by the country’s chief justice next Wednesday.

According to the agreement signed, while Ramaphosa has the prerogative to appoint ministers and deputy ministers, he needs to consult leaders of other parties in the coalition before he does so.

Pierre de Vos, professor of constitutional law at the University of Cape Town, said he was wary about what a coalition government might mean for the country’s governance.

“It is difficult to be confident in what’s to come,” he said.

De Vos said that while a coalition government was “good on paper,” South Africa had a fractious society that the ANC kept together for three decades. “When it comes to difficult issues like inequality and racism, the two parties are polar opposite sides,” he said.

The DA has fought against race-based transformation policies, which the ANC has pushed for three decades.

Other analysts said they believe the coalition government would force ideological parties to the centre.

“This coalition agreement is a good thing. It will force the ANC away from the left to the centre and the DA away from the extreme right,” said political analyst JP Landman.

SOURCE: AL JAZEERA

South Africa’s Ramaphosa elected president

Africa

Nigeria withdraws fighter jets as Benin recovers after failed coup attempt

Published

10 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

Nigeria withdraws fighter jets as Benin recovers after failed coup attempt

Nigeria has withdrawn the fighter aircraft it deployed in the Benin Republic following Sunday’s attempted coup, after security assessments confirmed that the situation in the neighbouring country has stabilised. Security sources said the aircraft—initially dispatched from Lagos for surveillance and regional monitoring—were recalled on Sunday afternoon when updated intelligence indicated that the crisis no longer posed “immediate threat to Nigeria’s territorial security.”

The failed coup, aimed at toppling the democratic government of President Patrice Talon, began with an early morning assault on the presidential residence in Cotonou.

Mutinous soldiers, dressed in full military uniform, attempted to seize power but were repelled by loyal forces. Unable to capture the President, the rebels proceeded to take over the Office de Radiodiffusion et Télévision du Bénin (ORTB), briefly controlling the national broadcast signal.

The crisis escalated rapidly, but the Beninese National Guard responded decisively, surrounding the television station and blocking the mutineers’ escape routes.

By late Sunday, loyalist security units had secured all major government installations, restoring order across the capital city.

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“The situation is under control. The National Guard has everything surrounded,” a senior security official said, noting that negotiations were initiated to persuade the barricaded mutineers to surrender peacefully.

President Talon, reported safe in an undisclosed location, has yet to address the nation. Meanwhile, the streets of Cotonou remained tense but calm, with no reports of widespread violence or civilian casualties.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed in a statement on X that the coup had collapsed.

“Mutineers in military uniform who attempted to overthrow President Patrice Talon’s democratic government have failed. They seized the National TV after failing to enter the presidential residence,” he wrote.

He added that Colonel Pascal Tigri, the alleged leader of the mutiny, was on the run, while several members of the group had been apprehended.

Benin’s Interior Minister Alassane Seidou also appeared on national television, confirming that the military uprising had been foiled. “Early on Sunday, 7 December 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny aimed at destabilising the state and its institutions. The armed forces remained loyal to the republic, and their response allowed them to foil the attempt,” he said.

The Beninese government has since urged citizens to resume their normal activities, assuring the public that the security situation remains firmly under control.

Nigeria withdraws fighter jets as Benin recovers after failed coup attempt

Africa

Dozen Soldiers Held as Benin Govt Thwarts Coup Against President Patrice Talon

Published

10 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

President Patrice Talon

Dozen Soldiers Held as Benin Govt Thwarts Coup Against President Patrice Talon

Authorities in Benin Republic have arrested about a dozen soldiers following Sunday’s attempted coup, with security and military sources confirming that several of the suspected masterminds are already in custody. According to reliable sources, at least 13 suspects have been detained, including one former service member.

The arrests came after a group of military officers stormed the national broadcaster on Sunday morning, declaring that President Patrice Talon had been removed and that all state institutions had been dissolved. The officers, who identified themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation, claimed to have taken control of government operations.

However, the presidency swiftly debunked the announcement, assuring citizens that President Talon remained safe and that loyal forces had regained control of critical installations.

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“This is a small group of people who only control the television. The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure,” the presidency said.

Government officials have described the uprising as the action of a fringe faction with no real command of state power. The Interior Ministry also confirmed that the coup attempt was foiled within hours, following coordinated military intervention across Cotonou.

The thwarted coup has drawn immediate reactions from regional bodies, with ECOWAS and the African Union condemning the attempted takeover and calling for strict adherence to constitutional order. The incident adds to rising concerns over political instability in West Africa, which has witnessed a wave of military takeovers in recent years, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea-Bissau.

Security analysts say the swift suppression of the rebellion demonstrates the resilience of Benin’s democratic institutions, even as the country remains on high alert for collaborators or remaining pockets of resistance.

Dozen Soldiers Held as Benin Govt Thwarts Coup Against President Patrice Talon

Africa

Benin govt says coup attempt foiled as soldiers seize state TV, gunfire rocks Cotonou

Published

14 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

Benin govt says coup attempt foiled as soldiers seize state TV, gunfire rocks Cotonou

The Government of Benin announced on Sunday that its armed forces had foiled a coup attempt, hours after a group of soldiers appeared on state television claiming to have overthrown President Patrice Talon.

The attempted coup marks the latest challenge to democratic stability in West Africa, a region that has witnessed a wave of military takeovers in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, and most recently Guinea-Bissau.

Earlier on Sunday, at least eight soldiers, some wearing helmets, appeared on national TV, declaring that a military committee led by Colonel Tigri Pascal had taken power, dissolved national institutions, suspended the constitution, and closed all borders.
“The army solemnly commits to give the Beninese people the hope of a truly new era,” one soldier said on air.

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However, Interior Minister Alassane Seidou later stated that the coup attempt had been thwarted. “The government urges the population to go about their business as usual,” he said.

Foreign Minister Olushegun Adjadi Bakari confirmed to Reuters that “a small group” of soldiers attempted to overthrow the government but had managed only to seize the state broadcaster, while loyal forces worked to restore order.

Gunfire was reported across several Cotonou neighbourhoods early Sunday as residents headed to church. The French Embassy warned citizens to stay indoors after shots were heard near President Talon’s residence.

The coup attempt comes ahead of the April presidential election, which is expected to mark the end of Talon’s tenure after two terms in office. Though credited with reviving economic growth, Talon’s administration has faced rising jihadist attacks in northern Benin, including an April assault that killed 54 soldiers.

Tensions have also been heightened by a newly adopted constitution extending the presidential term from five to seven years — a move critics called a power grab. Meanwhile, opposition candidate nominations have faced disputes, with the Democrats party seeing its proposed candidate disqualified by a court.