South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress says it would enter talks with other parties to form a new government, after losing its three-decade-old absolute majority in the last election.

With 99.91 percent of the votes from Wednesday’s election counted, President Cyril Ramaphosa’s had only 40.2 percent, a slump from the 57.5 percent it won in 2019.

It marks a historic turning point for South Africa as the party has enjoyed an absolute majority since 1994, when liberation hero Nelson Mandela led the nation out of white-minority rule and into democracy.

ANC’s Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula told a press conference, that the ruling party is committed to the formation of a government that reflects the will of the people, but the party will not consider any demands from possible coalition partners that President Cyril Ramaphosa resign for talks to go ahead.

The party must negotiate a coalition government or at least persuade others to back Ramaphosa’s re-election in parliament to allow him to form a minority administration.

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