The United States has congratulated the South African people on successful national and provincial elections, adding that this year’s elections marked three decades of all South Africans having the opportunity to exercise their fundamental right to vote.
According to the statement released by the State Department Spokesman, Mathew Miller on Monday stated that the United States remain committed to deepening its cooperation and advancing its shared interests with South Africa.
Also further disclosed that it remain committed to share values which includes expanding economic prosperity, combating climate crisis, and ensuring that democracy delivers, while looking forward to joint efforts to forge a more peaceful and prosperous future for all.
The election that was conducted on Wednesday May 29, 2024 has its results announced with South Africa’s governing African National Congress lost its outright majority, winning only 159 seats in the 400- seat parliament, official results showed Sunday.
It was reported that no single party won a majority in the National Assembly. Behind the ANC’s 159 seats from 40 percent of the vote came the centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA) on 87 seats and 22 percent.
In third place was Zuma’s upstart radical party, the newly-formed uMkonto weSizwe (MK), which grabbed 14.59 percent of the vote and 58 seats — but had nevertheless denounced the process.
President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Deputy Paul Mashatile were respectively at the National Results Operations Centre to attend the 2024 IEC Final National and Provincial Elections Announcement Ceremony which took place at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Johannesburg on Sunday.
In his word, South African President said after the announcement of the election results that the people have spoken. “As the leaders of political parties, as all those who occupy positions of responsibility in society, we have heard the voices of our people and we must respect their wishes.
“Over the past 30 years, we have strived together to build a country which everyone – black and white, man and women, young and old – can call home. This election has reaffirmed building a South Africa for all remains the defining mission of our nation.
“Over the course of the election campaign, parties and candidates have at times differed, often forcefully. They have expressed a wide variety of views that are often at odds with each other. This is a welcome and necessary feature of a robust democracy”.
Ramaphosa boldly said throughout the election campaign, parties and candidates have held fast to the fundamental principles of democracy, and have affirmed the right of voters to participate in an election that is free, fair and peaceful.
“And now, we are all called upon to recognise that the results of the election reflect the will of the people. What this election has made plain is that the South African people expect their leaders to work together to meet their needs.
“They expect the parties for which they have voted to find common ground, to overcome their differences, to act and work together for the good of everyone.
“Our people expect all parties to work together within the framework of our constitution and address whatever challenges we encounter peacefully and in accordance with the prescripts of our constitution and the rule of law”, the President added.
