(5 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Johannesburg, South Africa – 05 June 2024
1. Various of media briefing held by the African National Congress
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, African National Congress spokesperson:
"The ANC has started engagements with political parties in the country. We have been meeting with all parties that are keen to contribute ideas on how we can collectively move our country forward, form a government that ensures national unity and stability in a country that continues the transformation of South Africa and safeguards our constitutional democracy."
3. Journalist taking photo
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, African National Congress spokesperson:
"The national officials reported to the National Working Committee that the ANC has repeatedly reached out to the MK party for an engagement meeting. With no positive response. Our door remains open as to continue to reach out to every party that is keen to contribute positively to moving our country forward."
5. Briefing
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, African National Congress spokesperson:
"The current situation has created some uncertainties and risks, but also opportunities to move the country forward. More determined to tackle the problems its people face, more determined to unite and face the future together as South Africans. The ANC is committed to ensure that we unite the people of South Africa to move our country forward and form a government that reflects the message from the electorate, which is the message that says we must all work together."
7. Briefing
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, African National Congress spokesperson:
"Our commitment to a national democratic society cannot be changed on the basis of the fact that we have not achieved an outright majority. In the conversations about who we are going to finally go into a coalition with, those would be the key principles that we consider, the kind of policies and a set of policies that those that we are going into a government of national unity with will be considered."
9. Various of ANC media briefing
STORYLINE:
Top officials in South Africa’s African National Congress have had initial talks with representatives of five other parties over a coalition or other agreement to form a government, but no decision has been made and the talks are at an early stage, the ANC said on Wednesday.
South Africa faced an election deadlock after the long-ruling ANC lost its 30-year majority in last week’s election, but no party managed to overtake it.
The ANC remained the biggest party, managing to secure 159 of the 400 parliamentary seats in its worst-ever electoral showing.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri told reporters there had been “exploratory” talks with the main opposition Democratic Alliance, the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters and three other smaller parties.
She said the ANC had “repeatedly” reached out to the new MK Party of former President Jacob Zuma for talks, but there had been “no positive response.”
Zuma is a former ANC leader who turned his back on the party and became fiercely critical of current President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Parliament must sit by June 16 to elect a president — with Ramaphosa seeking a second term — and an agreement of some sort needs to be in place for that to happen.
AP video by Nqobile Ntshangase
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