South Africa’s primary opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has teamed up with six other smaller parties to challenge the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in the 2024 general elections, local sources reported on Friday.
The alliance was solidified at the Multi-party Convention held this week in Johannesburg.
At this gathering, a unified strategy was formulated to unseat the ANC, currently led by the nation’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa.
“This agreement has renewed South Africa’s hope,” declared DA leader John Steenhuisen during the convention’s closing, describing the partnership, documented in the Multi-party Charter, as “historic and unparalleled.”
“Next year, this Charter will sweep the ANC from power and bring about South Africa’s recovery,” Steenhuisen added.
However, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a significant left-wing party, is not included in this coalition.
For the first time since South Africa’s move to democracy in 1994, the ANC, which has governed since then, faces the possibility of losing its parliamentary majority and subsequently the presidency in 2024.
In the local elections held on November 1, 2021, the ANC secured less than 50% of the national votes, recording their lowest at 47.9%.
Despite facing allegations of corruption, Ramaphosa was re-elected as the ANC’s leader last December for a five-year tenure.
The ANC’s leader typically becomes its presidential candidate, making Ramaphosa the anticipated choice for the 2024 elections.