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S.African opposition parties team up against ANC

Xinhua, August 18, 2016 Adjust font size:

South African opposition parties have teamed up to stop the ruling African National Congress (ANC) from governing strategic municipalities following the August 3 local government elections, it was revealed on Wednesday.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema told reporters in Johannesburg that the EFF would not form a coalition with the ANC unless President Jacob Zuma resigned. Malema said his party would support the Democratic Alliance (DA) for its efforts to form coalition governments.

Malema said the ANC wanted to form a coalition with the EFF, but the EFF demanded that the ANC fired Zuma first.

In the local government elections, the three major parties failed to win a majority of votes in some major metros like Johannesburg and Pretoria. Therefore they need to form coalition governments.

The EFF also demands that the ANC-led government cancel a nuclear deal with Russia, change the national anthem, amend the Constitution and agree to expropriate land and nationalization of mines.

Malema said the EFF would back smaller parties like Inkata Freedom Party instead of the ANC.

Also addressing a press conference in Johannesburg, DA leader Mmusi Maimane said the DA had formed coalitions with four opposition parties, including the Congress of the People, the United Democratic Movement, the African Christian Democratic Party and the Freedom Front Plus.

Maimane welcomed the support offered by the EFF. He said, "This is an agreement that seeks to put people first, ahead of anyone else. The DA wants to run governments so that we can turn this bad delivery around, and improve the lives of the poor."

There are signs that the DA would govern four metros -- Pretoria, Cape Town and Nelson Mandela Bay and Johannesburg.

Maimane said they did not agree with the EFF because of ideological differences.

"While coalitions are complex and are sometimes difficult to manage, we are optimistic that we can form governments that are united by the one galvanizing force which is the delivery of better services to the people of South Africa and in so doing moving South Africa forward again," said Maimane.

In the elections, there were no outright winners in 27 municipalities, forcing parties to talk to each other for coalitions.

Time is running out for South African political parties to conclude coalition talks by August 20. Endit