The African National Congress (ANC) is holding a crucial special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, later this morning to discuss various options for forming a government within the next two weeks.
Some party members argue that a merger between the ANC and the Democratic Alliance (DA) is the best option for the country's stability.
Other political parties, including allies the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South African Communist Party (SACP), have strongly rejected the agreement.
Cosatu says a coalition government with the ANC would not be beneficial for workers.
South African Communist Party secretary-general Solly Mapaila said the party had a clearly defined anti-capitalist orientation.
“We support a minority government with GNU characteristics, a government of national unity without the role and participation of DA-led forces. Therefore, we are clear on our anti-capitalist trajectory. The problems facing the country are because we have been tied to the capitalist interests that we have pursued for so many years and that have always threatened us on economic stability.”
For the first time in 30 years, the ANC failed to get the majority of votes needed to form a new government. Decreased by just over 40%Logically, in vThe voter turnout was just 58.61%.
ANC spokesperson Malengi Bhengu Motsili said after lengthy discussions at the highest leadership level and in the national working committee, the party was now considering forming either a national unity government or a minority government.
She said she met with the DA, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the National Freedom Front (NFP) and the Patriotic Alliance (PA).
She says the recently formed Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, which is currently the third most powerful party in the country, is not listening to them.
But Bhengu Motsili says some NEC members and alliance partners are not happy with the prospects of a DA coalition government and have concerns about some of the combinations.