South Africa's Nonalignment Is Here to Stay.

South Africa's recent election results have led to a shift in the country's political landscape, with the African National Congress (ANC) failing to secure an absolute parliamentary majority. The ANC's foreign policy orientation, particularly its nonaligned stance, may cause tension with its new governing partners. While some critics argue that South Africa should align with Western capitals, most voters are more concerned with domestic issues. The ANC has a long history of nonalignment, receiving support from the Soviet Union and Cuba during the liberation struggle. The party's current foreign policy focuses on strengthening the global south through institutions like BRICS and advocating for a more representative international system. However, tensions have arisen with Western governments, particularly regarding South Africa's nonaligned position after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The ANC maintains relations with both Western and non-Western governments, but this has generated criticism from both sides. The Democratic Alliance (DA), a pro-West party, would prefer South Africa to pivot towards the West, while the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party, which opposes President Cyril Ramaphosa, has an anti-Western outlook and wants closer ties with Russia, Cuba, and BRICS. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party is pro-African and pro-Russia, and it wants South Africa to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC) and establish an African court. The IFP and the PA, two smaller parties in the government, are hostile towards African migrants and have pro-West and pro-Israel st [Extracted from the article]