Results from the IEC show an ever-decreasing support base for the ANC. For the first time since ’94, we see a party hanging by a thread. Some people have begun remarking that being a mono-governance was never who we are to start with. South Africa is more diverse than we could ever imagine, and repressing that is a huge mistake.
Today we have a plethora of parties, each speaking for a specific group of people. It seems that parties, the major ones, are loosely tied to certain racial groups. Although I may exaggerate (highly likely), it is how it feels. Parties have faces and stories and agendas.
It shows in their rallies, their paradigms and more.
Is it plausible to assume that the ANC will continue to steer this land with this status quo? After all, they speak on behalf of the largest ethnic group on the land?
Doubtful, that would imply that people think and behave the same simply due to their ethnicity. Obviously, that will never be true; the truth is vaster than that.
There is no unison, which is why there are so many breakaway parties, most being utterly useless. Today data shows that most small parties don’t even enjoy a fraction of a per cent in support. They would not even be summoned for coalition talks.
The data
Here is the data as of the 2019 national tally, source IEC: ANC 57.7%, DA 20.77%, EFF 10.8%. These are the principal parties, and they amassed 90% of all votes. But, they are so vastly different in principle, and their supporters are the same. That is South Africa!
What may make 2024 a beautiful time is if we see a coalition government evolving! That would be if the large parties will to work together in governance.
Coalition governance promises to meet the interests of a wider demographic than before. It promises to build something different to what we know. And Change will be forced, and people on their toes.
The biggest sower of division is lack of representation. Although we may never look and walk the same, it should still remain that we are all represented politically.
Avoiding desensitization
The beauty comes from South Africans agreeing that the current government is doing more harm than good. Stats indicate that the ANC is losing ground in the rural areas, too, their historic grounds.
But it helps no one to celebrate the fall of a party which brought shame to themselves. We were becoming desensitised to lack of transparency, corruption and the overall law bending. A desensitised community is potentially violent. It is potentially immune!
And the issue with a suitable replacement is vastly troubling. Either that or parties will gain followers based on their benefits, which isn’t their responsibility. Maybe the ANC have outlived their purpose, but so did the DA, EFF, etc.
Maybe what will break the parties ultimately is South Africans finally calling it a day. Much remains to be seen.
We are two years away.
Thanks for reading.
Go back here.
