South African lawmakers are set to elect a president on Friday in a historic event that marks the first time in 30 years where the outcome is not a mere formality. Cyril Ramaphosa, seeking a second term as leader of Africa's most industrialized economy, faces a challenging path to reelection after his African National Congress (ANC) party lost its long-held majority in a recent election.
The ANC is currently in talks with other parties, particularly the main opposition Democratic Alliance, in hopes of securing enough support for Ramaphosa's reelection. While a coalition agreement in principle has been announced, final details are still being worked out, and it remains uncertain if all coalition partners will back Ramaphosa in Parliament.
