The African National Congress (ANC), which governs South Africa, says it has made progress in efforts to establish a national unity government after losing its absolute majority in recent elections.
But the party’s general secretary Fikile Mbalula said the party is not yet ready to announce the details of a deal.
The ANC lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 30 years in the May 29 elections, obtaining 40% of the vote.
This means that the support of other parties was necessary for President Cyril Ramaphosa to remain in power.
The new parliament meets for the first time on Friday, when it is expected to elect a president. Ramaphosa is expected to keep his seat.
“We are talking to the political parties at the moment,” Mbalula told journalists after a meeting with the party’s top officials, adding that he could not give further details.
He said it would be a shift to the political center because left-wing ANC splinter parties have said they will not join.
He said parties, including the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA), had agreed to form a national unity government.
But the ANC and DA have not agreed on exactly how they will cooperate, Mr Mbalula added.
“If the prosecution got some of these things it wants, it would mean the ANC would be dead,” he said.
The DA came second in the election with 22% of the vote.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously accused the DA – which draws its support mainly from racial minorities – of being “treacherous” and “reactionary”.
Any agreement with the DA would be unpopular with many ANC activists.
The party is an advocate of free market economics, which is at odds with the left-wing traditions of the ANC, and has a reputation for representing the interests of the white minority.
