A remarkable new era begins in South Africa

Editor’s note (June 15th 2024): This article has been updated.

DESMOND TUTU once wrote that “we in South Africa…sell ourselves short.” In a country with many problems it is easy to forget its “remarkable achievements”, argued the late Nobel peace laureate. He felt that the world had much to learn from the largely peaceful transition to democracy in 1994; the Truth and Reconciliation Commission he chaired that shed light on the darkness of apartheid; and the forgiveness of ordinary black people scarred by decades of white rule.

If Archbishop Tutu were still alive, he might have added the events of June 14th to his list of feats. Members of parliament re-elected Cyril Ramaphosa as South Africa’s president at the head of a “government of national unity”. The coalition, anchored by Mr Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC) and the erstwhile official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), was necessitated by the results of elections held on May 29th. The ANC won just 40.2% of the vote, depriving it of its parliamentary majority for the first time. To gain the support of most MPs Mr Ramaphosa could have joined with dangerous populist parties. Instead he and his new partners have swiftly opted for a government that adheres to the values of the 1994 settlement and has a chance of overseeing vital reforms. Its formation reflects well on the rainbow nation’s fledgling democracy.