South Africa's African National Congress party lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since the historic 1994 election that ended the country's racist apartheid system, according to official results released Sunday.
The ANC won just 159 of 400 seats in South African's National Assembly, the Independent Electoral Commission said, Reuters reported.
The vote left the party in control of fewer than 40% of seats, and will usher in a new era of coalition government as South Africa struggles with deep poverty and inequality that helped lead to the ANC's defeat.
The party was formerly led by the late President Nelson Mandela, who became the country's first Black leader after he was released from prison in 1990 following 27 years behind bars for opposing minority white rule.
South African law requires the National Assembly to meet within 14 days to elect a president. The ANC will have to find one or more partners to remain in government and give President Cyril Ramaphosa a second and final term, the Associated Press said.
"We can talk to anybody and everybody," ANC Chairman Gwede Mantashe said Saturday after it became clear the party would lose control.
Opposition politicians celebrated the results, with John Steenhuisen, the leader of the Democratic Alliance party, saying: "The way to rescue South Africa is to break the ANC's majority and we have done that."
Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, also said the ANC's "entitlement of being the sole dominant party" was over.
More than 50 political parties participated in the election, with many winning tiny shares, AP said.
The three main opposition parties won the lion's share of the vote, led by the Democratic Alliance with about 21%.
It was followed by the the new MK Party of former ANC leader and ex-President Jacob Zuma and the Economic Freedom Fighters, which won about about 14% and 9%, respectively.
Although they won a total of about 44% of the vote, it's highly unlikely the opposition parties will all work together, AP said.
