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Coalition Politics – Are we Strong Enough for the Rough Ride Ahead?

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Some of my concerns around the next five years of this next exciting chapter in the life of our democracy need airing.

Once again South Africa and it’s citizens have not disappointed us – early results show that the ANC will lose their majority and that the MK Party may be on track to be significant opposition.

Most provinces have voted according to their traditional base and no surprise in KZN as the MK sprinted into the lead. Could the lobby to change the acronymn from KZN to MKZN be gaining traction?

The ANC appears to be holding on to their traditional strongholds like the Eastern Cape.

There appears to be a rise in support for parties on the right hand side of the political spectrum with parties like the VF Plus showing good gains.

The permutations around a National Coaloition government are many and rely heavily on the final outcome.

At the top of the coalition wish list for most parties will be the desire to join with one suitor only – far more manageable and a better solution for the country.

Coalition governments demand a special type of governance and also will take a lot more time to set up and manage effectively. This time is time that South Africa’s economy can ill afford so we could probably expect a bumpy ride for the next five years.

The provinces that are won outright by one political party are in the position of expecting the same service (or lack thereof) to continue.

A big lesson for the EFF has been that keeping your supporters in a constant state of ‘war’ and attacking anyone who does not wear red can be exhausting and eventually leads to a fallout as your supporters mature and realise that they need to be ‘nice’ when becoming adults.

Come to think of it this constant sniping at a different political party can and does lead to voter fatigue and apathy (learn that lesson now DA!).

The Eastern Cape looks set to be under the ANC once again and we can expect the eyes of the Mother Party to be cast hungrily upon us – hopefully that hunger will be to impress our citizens with good governence and not to rape our citizens even more.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.