Africa
South Africa’s Ramaphosa elected president
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.
South Africa’s Ramaphosa elected president
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Africa
ECOWAS refutes claims linking Nigeria to terrorism sponsorship
ECOWAS refutes claims linking Nigeria to terrorism sponsorship
The Economic Community of West African States has expressed concern over allegations directed at Nigeria and other member states, accusing them of sponsoring terrorism.
The commission in a statement on Thursday rejected the claims, describing them as unfounded and contrary to Nigeria’s longstanding commitment to regional peace and security.
It highlighted Nigeria’s leadership in the Multinational Joint Task Force, which had achieved significant successes in combating terrorism and maintaining stability in the West African region.
It stressed that Nigeria’s contributions extended beyond the subregion, underscoring the country’s role as a pillar of peace on the African continent.
ECOWAS refuted any suggestion that Nigeria, known for its generosity and dedication to stability, could be linked to terrorism sponsorship.
The commission urged all states in the region to prioritize dialogue and cooperation, calling for an end to baseless accusations that could undermine unity and peace efforts.
“The commission stands firmly with Nigeria and other ECOWAS member states against allegations that they are sponsoring terrorism.
“For years, Nigeria has supported the peace and security of several countries not only in the West African subregion but also on the African continent.
“ECOWAS therefore refutes any suggestion that such a generous and magnanimous country would become a state-sponsor of terrorism.
“ECOWAS calls on all states in the region to promote dialogue and stability and refrain from making accusations that are not supported by any evidence,” the statement read.
ECOWAS refutes claims linking Nigeria to terrorism sponsorship
Africa
Mozambique: Over 1,000 prisoners escape jail as election protests worsen
Mozambique: Over 1,000 prisoners escape jail as election protests worsen
No fewer than 1,500 prisoners have escaped from a prison in Mozambique, taking advantage of ongoing political unrest triggered by disputed election results, police say.
According to police chief Bernardino Rafael, thirty-three people were killed and 15 injured in clashes with guards.
About 150 more fugitives have since been recaptured, he added.
Protests broke out on Monday in response to Mozambique’s highest court confirming that the ruling Frelimo party, in power since 1975, had won October’s presidential elections.
Mr. Rafael stated that groups of anti-government protesters had approached the prison in the capital, Maputo, on Wednesday. Prisoners used the unrest to knock down a wall and escape, he said.
Mozambique has been rocked by civil unrest since disputed elections in October. Official results showed the ruling Frelimo’s candidate for president, Daniel Chapo, winning.
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Fresh protests erupted on Monday, when the constitutional court decided that Chapo had won the election but reduced his margin of victory.
In October, initial results showed Daniel Chapo with 71% of the vote versus Venâncio Mondlane’s 20%.
The court has now determined that he won 65% to Mondlane’s 24%. A BBC reporter discovered Maputo was like a ghost town on Christmas Eve, with practically all shops closed and residents remaining at home to avoid being caught up in the city’s worst unrest since Frelimo first took office in 1975.
Frelimo offices, police stations, banks, and factories have been robbed, vandalised, and set on fire around the country.
Mondlane, who has since fled Mozambique, had been urging his supporters to protest what he claimed was a corrupt vote. In a weekend social media statement, he predicted a “new popular uprising” if the outcome was not reversed.
Approximately 150 people have been killed in three months of protests following the elections.
Mozambique: Over 1,000 prisoners escape jail as election protests worsen
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