South Africa awaits election results, coalition race begins

South Africans awaited confirmation on Sunday of a historic election outcome that will dismantle a 30-year African National Congress (ANC) majority, an announcement that will start the clock on a frenzied race to form a new ruling coalition.
Voters, angry at joblessness, inequality and power shortages, slashed support for the ANC – the former liberation movement of the late Nelson Mandela – to 40% in Wednesday’s election, down from 57.5% in the 2019 parliamentary vote.
That means it must now share power, likely with a major political rival, in order to keep it – an unprecedented prospect since the end of white minority rule in 1994.
From the official announcement of results expected on Sunday evening, political parties will have two weeks to work out a deal before a new parliament sits to choose a president, who would likely still emerge from the ANC as the biggest party.