South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) announced its intention to create a national unity government involving major opposition parties. This development follows the ANC losing its majority in the recent general elections, marking the first such occurrence since the nation’s first post-apartheid elections three decades ago.

The announcement was made by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday, after extensive discussions within the ANC and among other significant parties. There had been speculation about whether the ANC would form a grand coalition with the Democratic Alliance to maintain parliamentary control or collaborate with former President Jacob Zuma’s uMKhonto we Sizwe, which gained at the expense of the ANC.

Analysts suggested that either of those coalitions might make the ANC overly reliant on a single opposing party. By opting for a broad, multiparty coalition, the ANC can mitigate that risk.

The ANC has until June 18 to finalize the details of this national unity government.

But what exactly is a national unity government, how could it function, and has it been tried in South Africa or elsewhere before?

What is a government of national unity?

A national unity government aims to include a wide range of major political parties in the legislature, including opponents. In South Africa’s case, this setup will allow various parties to manage different governmental ministries.

Such governments are often created during national emergencies, like wars or economic challenges, or when deep national divisions make clear mandates for any single party impossible, as seen in South Africa today.

This arrangement often results in a minimal opposition presence in parliament.

Who could be part of the NUG in SA?

In a multiparty democracy, there’s typically a vote threshold for parties to join a national unity government, often around 10 percent. However, ANC leaders might lower this bar. The five largest parties after the ANC in last week’s election, interested in a ruling coalition, are:

• Democratic Alliance: With about 22 percent of the vote, the DA, led by John Steenhuisen, campaigned to “rescue South Africa from ANC”. Despite its minority-interest perception and opposition to affirmative action policies, it’s seen as pro-business. An alliance between the ANC and DA could ease investor concerns over South Africa’s political situation.
• uMKhonto we Sizwe: Capturing 14 percent of the votes, the MK party, led by former President Jacob Zuma, disrupted the ANC’s dominance, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal. The party, populist in nature, aims to reduce judicial powers.
• Economic Freedom Fighters: Holding 9 percent of the vote, the EFF, a Marxist and pan-Africanist party led by Julius Malema, seeks nationalization of mines and land redistribution to benefit historically disadvantaged Black communities.
• Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP): With 3.8 percent, the IFP, led by Velenkosini Hlabisa, promotes Zulu cultural interests and seeks more autonomy for traditional leaders.
• Patriotic Alliance: At 2 percent, the PA, a far-right party led by Gayton McKenzie, focuses on anti-immigrant policies and seeks control over the Ministry of Interior for stricter immigration enforcement.

Has this happened before?

Yes, South Africa’s first post-apartheid government under Nelson Mandela was a national unity government lasting three years. In the 1994 election, the ANC won 62.5 percent of the vote, just short of the required two-thirds majority to control parliament. To bridge political gaps, Mandela included parties with at least 10 percent of the vote, forming a cabinet from the IFP, the National Party, the ANC, and smaller parties.

Although this inclusive approach was initially successful, the National Party eventually withdrew due to governmental disagreements, and the party dissolved in 2005 due to its tarnished reputation.

What countries have tried it before?

Several nations have implemented national unity governments in crises:

• Kenya: After the disputed 2007 elections, President Mwai Kibaki proposed a unity government to opposition leader Raila Odinga, creating a non-executive prime minister role for him and including his allies in the cabinet.
• Afghanistan: In the 2014 elections, leading candidates agreed to share power, with Ashraf Ghani becoming president and opposition leader Abdullah Abdullah being appointed “chief executive of Afghanistan”. This arrangement lasted until the 2019 elections.
• Lebanon: Constantly balancing power-sharing, Lebanon, in 2019, formed a unity government including the Future Movement Party and the Hezbollah-led coalition, led by then-Prime Minister Saad Hariri.
• Myanmar: Formed in exile post-2021 coup, Myanmar’s National Unity Government consists of the ousted National League for Democracy and various opposition groups.
• Italy: Following a COVID-19 recovery crisis in 2021 and subsequent political fallout, Prime Minister Mario Draghi created a broad coalition government. However, this effort only lasted until October 2022.