South Africa’s ruling ANC is on the brink of losing its majority in a landmark election result
NBCMAY 2024
South Africa: ANC Loses 30-Year Majority in Landmark Election
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The Spin
Narrative A
South Africans have punished a party — which has never lost since the country's first democratic elections in 1994 — for its failure to fix chronic joblessness, crumbling infrastructure, and widespread corruption. This election result is a momentous breakthrough for South Africa's democracy, which desperately needed to break one-party dominance to rescue itself.
Narrative B
The fact that the ANC still has the largest share of votes shows that South African voters have once again invested confidence in Ramaphosa's ability to continue to lead the country. The ANC led South Africa out of apartheid — it will now lead a credible coalition government as the country enters a new period of profound change.