President Of South Africa Attends Important Party Conference On Establishment Of New Administration

African National Congress senior officials met with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday to discuss how to proceed with building a cabinet after the party lost its 30-year hold on power and left a post-election impasse.

The National Executive Committee of the party convened in Johannesburg to resolve a disagreement among party members over the path to pursue. Though it was the largest party, the African National Congress (ANC) lost its long-held majority in last week’s election. As a result, it now needs to work with others to govern the most industrialized nation in Africa.

Rather than forming a direct alliance with the Democratic Alliance, or DA, the main opposition, the ANC has signaled that it is inclined toward a government of national unity, which would unite several political groups in a wide accord.

Before the meeting on Thursday, which was probably going to last all day, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula stated, “We want to bring everybody on board.” Mbalula stated that the NEC was being asked to decide on a government of national unity, but he anticipated discussion and disagreement.