South Africa’s DA party takes ANC to court in sign of friction between new coalition partners

Associated Press

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa’s Democratic Alliance is taking the African National Congress, the party it co-governs the country with, to court over a preelection speech given by President Cyril Ramaphosa. It’s an early sign of friction between the country’s most important partners in a new multiparty coalition. The DA has asked the Electoral Court to deduct 1% of the vote received by the ANC in the May 29 national election. It also wants the court to fine Ramaphosa, the ANC leader, and his party over what it argues was a presidential address used for election campaigning and was an abuse of office. The ANC responded Thursday by calling the legal action “frivolous and unwarranted.”