South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, could become part of the central government after this year's elections and said it would take action to correct the economic downturn if it wins power.
A series of opinion polls have shown the DA winning between 20% and 31% of the vote, with a vote needed to be held by mid-August. The ruling African National Congress is expected by some to garner just under 50% support, but it is unclear how the DA will be able to form a coalition government if that happens.
The party is allied with 10 other groups, known as the Multiparty Charter, but each contests elections under its own banner. Alliance members have also pledged not to cooperate with the ANC or the current third party, the populist Economic Freedom Fighters.
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“The ANC will lose its majority for the first time,” Democratic Party leader John Steenhuisen told reporters in Johannesburg on Tuesday. “For the first time, there is now an avenue for the DA to enter provincial and national government beyond the boundaries of the Western Cape,” he added, without specifying how that would happen.
The DA's election promises include ending years of power outages that have hampered production, overhauling the national budget to introduce strict limits on the national debt, and ensuring government appointments are made on the basis of merit; This includes cutting the violent crime rate in half.
“We are serious about providing a winnable alternative. We are serious about defeating the ANC and removing the EFF and other radicals from government,” Steenhuisen said. he said. “But above all, we are serious about saving South Africa.”
In the last national vote in 2019, the DA received 20.8% support, behind the ANC's 57.5% and ahead of the EFF's 10.8%.
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