DA 'will explore all options' for a coalition

DA leaders are not ruling out the possibility of going into coalition with the ANC to form the seventh administration. 

Speaking from the National Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Friday, Helen Zille, chair of the DA Federal Council, said: “We'll explore all options to find the least bad choice for South Africa and work towards preventing a disastrous coalition.”

Zille said they were yet to look at the pros and cons of working with any political party as they will prioritise saving SA

However, they have made it clear that they were not ready to work with the MK Party and the EFF, she said.

While Zille said she did not have the authority to decide, DA leader Johan Steenhuisen said it was too early to make a decision. “I am not ruling out anything at this stage. You do not rule out anything until the boards have the final results, but I will say this, the DA emerged as the second strongest party in the country.”  

Zille said she was surprised there were people who still wanted former president Jacob Zuma in power. She was referring to the support the MK Party has received so far in this year’s vote count.

By 5pm, MK had received the third largest number of votes in the country.

“Everybody knows that we have nine wasted years. We know we had state capture, they know that the government was a disaster for the economy, disaster for the function of our government institutions. We know how he [Zuma] engineered state capture. We know how much was looted under his tenure. What surprises me is that in those circumstances so many people would vote for him,” Zille said.

Asked what her thoughts were on KwaZulu-Natal voters not voting for uMngeni Local Municipality mayor Christopher Pappas despite his track record, Zille said: “Government’s track record does not move the vote in KwaZulu-Natal, it is an ethnic identity vote.”