After South Africa's Historic Election, What Now for Its Global Role on Issues Like War in Gaza?

Cape Town: It was a historic day for South Africa. political party that ended racially divisive era of aparid and sent global hopes soaring with a vibrant new democracy has lost its three-dece grip on power, according to election results on Saturday.

For first time, African National Congress (ANC) will have to form a coalition to govern South Africa, whose role on global stage is growing as it takes Israel to court over its actions in Gaza and assumes presidency of Group of 20 nations late this year.

Here's what might lie ahe for a leing voice for developing world after ANC lost its dominance at home.

Challenging Israel Over Gaza 

South Africa has become most visible critic of Israel's actions in Gaza by accusing it of genocide in a case at International Court of Justice, UN's top court.

case has been largely driven by ANC, which has long identified with Palestinian cause and sees in Gaza and occupied West Bank uncomfortable parallels with distant "homelands" created for South Africa's Black people by former white-controlled government under brutal system of aparid.

Israel vehemently denies allegations of genocide. ANC's loss of its parliamentary majority in this week's election me news in Israel.

case at world court could go on for years, meaning a new South African coalition government will inherit it. ANC likely will form a governing deal with one or more of South Africa's three main opposition parties -- centrist Democratic Alliance, far-left Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and populist new MK Party of former president Jacob Zuma.

Democratic Alliance, which received around 21 per cent of vote, has said it doesn't agree with genocide case against Israel and would rar see South Africa push for a mediated settlement in Israel-Hamas war. EFF is seen to be at least as pro-Palestinian as ANC and has also accused Israel of genocide. position of MK Party, formed late last year, is not clear.

G20 Presidency Ahe 

South Africa has long been seen as a leing representative of African continent in world, and on December 1 it assumes prominent presidency of Group of 20 nations -- 20 leing rich and developing nations. South Africa will take over from Brazil, which is using its presidency to push for greater representation of developing nations on global stage.

South Africa is only African nation in G20. ANC and its new governing partner or partners will need to look beyond South African politics and find a common stance on pressing global issues such as climate change, conflict and reforms of international financial institutions.

"Regardless of electoral outcome, deep-seated elements of South African foreign policy will persist, such as championing rights of Palestinians and calling for international institutions to reform to better reflect priorities of African states," Michelle Gavin wrote last month for Council on Foreign Relations.

And n re's Russia

South Africa's diplomacy under ANC has drawn attention for its historic pro-Moscow stance that continued after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. While US and ors in West have long recognised ANC's ties to Russia -- y go back to fight against aparid -- US-South Africa relationship was seriously strained when ANC government allowed Russian and Chinese warships to conduct drills off its coast in early 2023.

main opposition Democratic Alliance has been strongly critical of ANC over its relationship with Russia, accusing it of betraying its claimed position of nonalignment and neutrality with regards to war in Ukraine and larger tensions between Russia and West.

Gavin suggested that an "unstable" governing coalition could hurt South Africa as a gateway for foreign investors and "push country even closer to Russia and China".