South Africa to form multi-party coalition government in historic ‘new chapter,’ DA party says

CNN — The African National Congress and its staunchest adversary, the White-led, Democratic Alliance, forged an unprecedented alliance Friday, agreeing to collaborate in South Africa’s new government of national unity, a stunning turn of events that ends 30 years of ANC political dominance.

“After two weeks of thorough negotiations that only concluded after today’s sitting of Parliament had already started, the DA has reached agreement on the statement of intent for the formation of a Government of National Unity (GNU),” the DA’s leader John Steenhuisen said in a statement in Cape Town on Friday.

The respective parties involved include the ANC, the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the DA, Steenhuisen outlined in his statement. “Today, the 14th of June 2024 will go down in the annals of history as the start of a new chapter for our beloved country,” Steenhuisen said.

The DA, a broadly centrist and pro-business party, is seen as the official opposition to the ANC, and has been heavily critical of the ANC for years. “It is difficult to overstate just how significant this moment is for the Democratic Alliance,” Steenhuisen said, adding that the party will “govern the Republic of South Africa in a spirit of unity and collaboration.”