ANC wary of post-election coalition

Olivia Kumwenda-mtambo and Nellie Peyton - South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party is betting on retaining its parliamentary majority in a May election and is not in talks with other parties on a possible coalition government, the party's deputy secretary general said.

South Africans will go to polls on 29 May to elect a new national assembly, which will then choose the next president.

"We will not go to war having accepted defeat. We are going to war to win," ANC veteran Nomvula Mokonyane told Reuters in an interview, adding that the party was aware that "stakes are high because not everybody is comfortable with us in power."

Surveys show that the ANC is likely to lose its parliamentary majority for the first time since Nelson Mandela led it to power at the fall of apartheid 30 years ago. This would open up the prospect of coalition rule.



‘Won’t work’

"A coalition government won't work for now," said Mokonyane, pointing to failed power-sharing attempts at the local government level, where coalitions have largely proved unstable due to a lack of legislation to regulate the partnerships.

But the ANC is open to working with anyone as long as they agree on "the task at hand", Mokonyane added.

Potential coalition partners for the ANC could include the largest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, and the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters party. - Reuters