Former S/Africa President Jacob Zuma Condemns ANC-DA Coalition Government, Calls for Fresh Election

Former South African president Jacob Zuma has criticized the country’s new coalition government and called for fresh elections.

“There must be a repeat. No, there must be an election,” said Zuma, who is also the leader of the new uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, during a press briefing in Johannesburg.

The MK Party came third in the May 29 elections and said none of its 58 newly elected lawmakers will join the ruling coalition.

Ramaphosa was reelected as president by lawmakers for a second term on Friday, after his party struck a dramatic late coalition deal.

The 71-year-old Ramaphosa secured his second term with the help of lawmakers from the country’s second biggest party, the Democratic Alliance, and some smaller parties.

“The whole big group of political parties, all complaining simultaneously that we are robbed here. We want this to be looked at.” Zuma said.

The former president told his party supporters that affected parties would take the matter up with courts outside the country, saying the South African judicial system could not be trusted to be impartial.

“We are going to the international court…so that this country does not have the South African judges doing so,” he said.

Zuma also called for new elections to take place, citing irregularities at polling stations.

“Let us see the votes properly. We have many stories about votes. Some burnt. You don’t even need to listen to what people have to say,” he added.

It will be recalled that Zuma was forced to step down as president of South Africa in an embarrassing situation in 2018 amid a swirl of corruption allegations.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was reelected by lawmakers for a second term on Friday after his African National Congress party struck a dramatic late and unexpected coalition deal with the main opposition and other parties.

Ramaphosa won convincingly in a vote against Julius Malema, the leader of the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters.

The 71-year-old Ramaphosa secured a second term with the help of lawmakers from the second biggest Democratic Alliance party and others, after the ANC lost its 30-year parliamentary majority in a landmark election two weeks ago.

The ANC signed an agreement with the DA — once its fiercest political foe — during the parliamentary session and just hours before the vote for president, ensuring Ramaphosa returned as leader of Africa’s most industrialized economy.

The parties will now co-govern South Africa in its first-ever national coalition where no party has a majority.

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