South African parties jostle to set terms of coalition talks

Jacob Zuma addresses uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) supporters in Soweto on March 18, 2024. [AFP]

South African parties jostled Friday to set out their stalls ahead of talks on sharing power, with the ruling ANC on course to lose the absolute majority it has enjoyed for three decades.

With more than 85 percent of the votes from Wednesday's election counted, President Cyril Ramaphosa's African National Congress had only 41.12 percent support, a catastrophic slump from the 57.5 it won in 2019.