Cyril Ramaphosa has been reelected for the second term of president in South Africa. His African National Congress (ANC) party lost the majority in the parliament in the recently held elections, however, lawmakers elected him as president after forming a coalition deal with the main opposition and other parties. The ANC partnered with the second-biggest Democratic Alliance (DA) party just before the votes for electing president.
Key highlights
- No party managed to cross the majority mark in the recently concluded elections. ANC lost the parliamentary majority for the first time in the last thirty years. The ANC has been in power since 1994, the year when the apartheid era ended, which was notorious for oppression and discrimination against the black community of the country.
- As a result, the parties have to form a coalition to rule the nation. The ANC and DA will co-govern the nation. The DA is a white-led party and is an arch-rival of the ANC, which was founded by former President Nelson Mandela.
- The vote share of the ANC dropped to 40% due to voters’ dissatisfaction over high poverty, inequality and unemployment. The ANC recorded 40.29% of the votes, while the DA managed to get 21% of the votes.
- Former President Jacob Zuma also contested the election under his newly founded party uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) and grabbed 14.71% of votes.
About South Africa
- The country is situated in the southernmost part of Africa and bounded by 2,798 kilometres of coastline, formed by the South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
- South Africa forms the border with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland) and encircles Lesotho, a land-locked country.
- Pretoria is the administrative capital of the country while Cape Town serves as the legislative capital.
- South Africa is a Black majority country, with around 80% population being Black. However, it is known for its multiethnic society constituting a wide variety of cultures, languages, and religions.
- Until 1994 or before apartheid, Black had to face lots of restrictions and discrimination in the country. For instance, they were not eligible to cast their votes in elections. This led to a revolution launched by Black to secure more rights. After a long struggle, though non-violent, the country began repealing discriminatory laws.
- Since the success of the apartheid movement, South Africa has often been referred to as the “Rainbow Nation” to describe its multicultural diversity.
- South Africa is also known for its rich biodiversity, encompassing unique biomes, flora and fauna.
India-South Africa Relations
- India and South Africa share a unique relationship, linked deeply to history. Mahatma Gandhi started his political life through Satyagraha Movement from Africa raising his voice against discrimination. His thoughts and philosophies inspired the apartheid movement in the country.
- Mahatma Gandhi reached India on 9th January 1915 from South Africa. This day is celebrated as the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in India every year.
- India effectively raised its voice against apartheid regime across global platforms such as the UN, and NAM.
- The ANC government which came to power in 1994 maintained a good relationship with India. Former PM Deve Gowda and President Nelson Mandela signed the strategically important Red Fort Declaration in 1997. The partnership between the countries was further strengthened with Tshwane Declaration in 2006.
- In terms of trade, India is the fifth-largest exporting nation to South Africa and is the second-largest trading partner in Asia.
- Moreover, India and South Africa, along with Brazil, created an IBSA dialogue forum to promote cooperation on various issues, including trade, poverty alleviation, social development, agriculture, climate change, education, energy, healthcare, etc.
- Both countries are important partners of the BRICS which advocated reforming the global financial and economic structure.
