South Africa dey head for a general election for late May, and some polls suggest say di governing African National Congress (ANC) fit get less dan 50% of di vote for di first time in 30 years.
Plenty criticisms of di party wey lead di fight against apartheid under di late Nelson Mandela don affect dia support and raise possibility of a coalition goment.
Wen be South Africa election?
On 29 May, nearly 28 million South African registered voters go get di chance to elect representatives to di national and provincial parliaments.
E go be di kontri seventh democratic general election.
Di election don take place evri five years since 1994, when white-minority rule bin end and di ANC to power.
Wetin dey at stake for di ANC and wetin be dia policies?
ANC, now led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, dey under growing pressure.
Stubbornly high unemployment, wey hit 32% last year, persistent economic inequalities, corruption allegations and frequent power cuts don reduce dia popularity.
High levels of violent crime – on average 130 rapes and 80 murders a day for di last three months of 2023 – don also dent confidence in di authorities.
But di ANC tok say dem dey work to fix dis problems.
And dem dey urge pipo make dem no throw away gains wey dem make since di end of di apartheid. Di party tok say poverty levels don fall, a greater number of South Africans live for decent homes and access to healthcare don improve.
Di ANC don promise to create millions more jobs ova di next five years, to boost investment, support di private sector and end corruption.
Wetin di DA and EFF opposition parties dey offer?
Di main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) tok say di “kontri dey in crisis”.
Dem wan liberalise di economy, including a move towards greater privatisation.
DA don pledge to create two million new jobs, end power cuts and “halve di rate of violent crime”.
To address unemployment and inequality, di Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) – di third largest party for parliament – get radical economic solutions.
Di party argue say di ANC neva redress di racial economic imbalances of apartheid. Dem get plans to redistribute land to di less well off.
Di EFF also wan nationalise mines, banks and oda key parts of di economy, as dem argue say di wealth of di kontri go dey used to benefit di majority of di population.
What about Jacob Zuma and di MK party?
Disgruntled former President Jacob Zuma don throw im considerable political weight behind fresh rival to di ANC.
Na Ramaphosa replace Zuma amid corruption allegations wey im deny, and im later go jail sake of say im defy court order.
Di uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, wey bin take dia name from di ANC former armed wing, add further unpredictability to di race. E fit make strong showing for Mr Zuma home province of KwaZulu-Natal.
In a brief manifesto, dem pledge to transform South Africa, including aim to create five million jobs.
South Africans no dey vote for a president.
Instead dem dey elect di 400 members of di National Assembly, wey go kon vote for a new head of state within 30 days of di general elections.
As a result, presidential candidates no dey, but each party leader dey front dia national campaign and dia portrait go appear on di ballot paper.
Di ANC President Ramaphosa, John Steenhuisen of DA and Julius Malema of di EFF go all feature prominently.
Di leader of whichever party get a majority for di National Assembly afta di election go dey expected to become di next president.
How di election dey work?
Di proportion of seats wey dem allocate to parties in di 400-member National Assembly dey directly related to dia share of di vote.
For 2024, independent candidates go dey included for di first time.
Dis mean say South Africans go cast three votes:
National parliament: One for 200 of di seats wit just political parties named on di ballot
National parliament: One for di remaining 200 seats wit different ballot paper for each of di nine provinces, listing di parties in dat region and independent candidates
Provincial assembly: One for di independent candidates or parties for di regional legislature.
How dem fit form coalition for South Africa?
Di constitution no spell out how dem fit form coalition.
But assuming say di ANC remain di largest party, smaller groupings fit informally agree to support ANC goment on a vote-by-vote basis in return for some concessions.
Or, at di oda end of possibilities, di ANC fit enta formal coalition wit some parties, including a written agreement wey outline legislative plans and di distribution of cabinet posts.
Any oda party go face di same choices.
But e also get possibility of opposition coalition.
For one pre-election deal, one group of parties – led by di DA – don sign up to wetin dem call Multi-Party Charter for South Africa. If togeda dem get more dan 50% of di seats, dem don already agree to form a coalition. Di agreement no include di EFF.
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