The African National Congress (ANC) has agreed with other political parties to form a government of national unity to govern the country following May's general elections, in which the ANC lost its majority for the first time since coming to power in 1994.
The new coalition will include the African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance (DA), the Patriotic Alliance (PA), and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), according to local media.
On Friday, South Africa's parliament met for the first time since last month's elections. New lawmakers will be sworn in and will later elect the country's president.
Lawmakers in the 400-seat National Assembly in Cape Town will be asked to appoint a speaker before beginning the process of electing the head of state.
The ANC has been South Africa's dominant political force for the next five general elections, consistently winning a majority of the vote and remaining the ruling party. The ANC won 62.7% of the popular vote in the first democratic election in South Africa (1994), 66.4% in 1999, 69.7% in 2004, 65.9% in 2009, 62.1% in 2014, and 57.5% in 2019.