CAPE TOWN, South Africa

– Tensions are emerging within South Africa's coalition government as the Democratic Alliance (DA) has taken legal action against the African National Congress (ANC) over a pre-election speech made by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The DA filed court papers in May, prior to entering into a coalition with the ANC, alleging that Ramaphosa's address constituted an abuse of office by campaigning for the ANC just days before the national election. The DA is seeking a 1% deduction from the ANC's election results and fines totaling $16,350 for Ramaphosa and the party. They argue that the president, while acting in his official capacity, improperly highlighted ANC achievements, thus violating election rules that prohibit the use of presidential speeches for party campaigning. In response, the ANC dismissed the DA's claims as “frivolous and unwarranted,” asserting that Ramaphosa was adhering to constitutional duties. This legal dispute comes on the heels of the ANC's significant electoral decline, where it secured only 40% of the vote, marking a historic shift in South Africa's political landscape. The ANC's loss of its long-standing majority necessitated the formation of a coalition government, with the DA emerging as a key partner despite their previous opposition to the ANC. The coalition, described as a "government of national unity," has created a new dynamic in South African politics, as it is the first time since the end of apartheid that a majority of voters opted for parties other than the ANC. Despite their ideological differences, the DA and ANC have managed to maintain a facade of unity since the coalition's establishment.