The international community is watching South Africa closely as the deadline for the formation of government looms. Pretoria is a major player globally and the direction it takes matter not just for the markets but in diplomatic circles as well.
For the entire week the ANC has been meeting with various political parties selling its idea of a Government of National Unity which has already been rejected by the Economic Freedom Fighters while the centre right Democratic Alliance is not just keen but also pushing for the exclusion of EFF and uMkhonto Wesizwe led by former President Jacob Zuma.
The ANC and the DA stand on opposite sides in terms of policy including on international relations, most notably the ongoing genocide in Palestine’s Gaza Strip which the outgoing administration took to the International Court of Justice in a bid to hold Israel accountable for the killings of tens of thousands civilians over the past few months. The South African government earned a lot of global applause for the move but domestically has been criticised by pro-Israel groupings led by the DA that may, from this week, start co-governing with the liberation movement.
Palesine’s Deputy Ambassador to South Africa Bassam Elhussiny has been physically attending some of the ANC’s open meetings to watch the situation closely.
“ we don’t want to talk too much or be alarmist. Of course we are following the developments keenly so that we know what is going to happen but that’s all I can say at this stage, let’s all wait and see. We remain grateful to South Africa for always standing with the people of Palestine,” he said on the sidelines of the National Union of Mineworkers’ policy conference held in Boksburg.
The understanding of talks as initiated by the ANC is that parties should engage with open minds and be willing to compromise as the election did not produce an outright winner.
This week the African Union called out rating agency FITCH for advocating for an ANC-DA coalition which it described as “stable”.
“ the APRM ( African Peer Review Mechanism) notes with concern the commentary by Fitch Ratings issued on 04 June 2024 in which the rating agency states that, “from its various permutations, it believes that a coalition between the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African National Congress (ANC) would likely result in policy continuity, the least significant changes to key credit metrics over the medium term and enhanced fiscal tightening”. According to Fitch Ratings, “South Africa’s debt trajectory would face additional risks if the former ruling party -ANC, enters into arrangements that rely on support from the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) or the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)”, which Fitch characterizes as “populist parties with radical agendas, that pose challenges to macroeconomic stability leading to a broad weakening of investor confidence and eroded governance,” said the continental body in a hard hitting rebuke.
The ANC’s alliance partners Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party have also accused rating agencies of manipulating and coercing the party into a deal with the DA which they detest.
On Tuesday Elsebeth Sondergaard Krone, the Ambassador of Denmark to South Africa, Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Zambia and Zimbabwe flew back to Copenhagen to brief her government about the elections.“ in Denmark to talk about the free, fair and peaceful democratic elections in South Africa,” said Sondergaard Krone via her X account.