A stock photo of the African National Congress flag Image: Twitter
A stock photo of the African National Congress flag Image: Twitter
No-one wants to wake up with a hangover like the one facing the ANC on Tuesday morning. The party was finally put to the sword by its competitors on Monday, following an evening of double-crossing and secret plotting. The foundation on which this ‘anti-ANC coalition’ has been built remains shaky – but it shows we’re reaching a new political dawn.
South Africa enters a new, ANC-free era
By and large, the hung metros of South Africa are revolting. The ANC secured some early success yesterday, claiming the mayorship of Nelson Mandela Bay. Alas, it all went sour, almost in a heartbeat. Not only are all three metros in Gauteng now set to fall under DA control, but the ANC stronghold of eThekwini is also likely to change hands this week.
How, exactly, did it come to this then? That’s the question Cyril Ramaphosa and his comrades will be desperately trying to answer, right up until our next election cycle in 2024. Ultimately, they were hit by a domino effect that started more than three weeks ago, before they were brutally rejected by councillors and voting partners across the land.
How the ANC lost control of the metros:
Low voter turnout, and fewer than 50% of the ballots
The ANC were screwed by the fact that only half of all eligible voters bothered to cast their ballots in 2021. This compromised the ceiling the party could reach, and for the first time in democratic history, the ANC recorded fewer than 50% of all votes registered at an election. This made life difficult for them.
Not least because they lost votes in almost every major metro, and in most of the hung districts, the party struggled to get 40% backing from locals. This ensured that a set of fractured coalitions would be needed just to govern metros across the country, and provided fertile ground for parties to go their own way.
EFF withdraw their support for the ANC
For a while, it was assumed that the EFF could be relied upon to prop-up in the ANC in a wave of municipalities. However, Julius Malema announced last week that they would NOT back the ruling party under any circumstances.
IFP renege on coalition voting agreement with ANC
Things remained deadlocked until Monday afternoon – and the IFP let off the first set of fireworks. It became clear to the ANC that the voting pact agreed with the party, designed to allow them to continue running hung districts in KZN, had been violated – and the IFP made moves to take municipalities that were essentially ‘reserved’ for their opponents.
This alleged double-cross plunged the ANC into panic mode – and the metro of eThekwini was poised to fall to the DA, before several interruptions ended the council meeting early. However, the wheels for change are now in motion.
Red Berets throw their weight behind the DA
In Gauteng’s metros, meanwhile, clear voting patterns emerged when the elections for House Speaker were held in Johannesburg and Tshwane respectively. Both the EFF and ActionSA voted for DA candidates rather than ANC candidates, creating an unlikely alliance that saw the Blues install a mayor in both cities.
Herman Mashaba twists the knife
It’s no secret that Herman Mashaba wanted the mayoral position in Johannesburg – but the ActionSA leader soon realised he was on a hiding to nothing. Instead, the wily politician revealed it was in Mzansi’s best interests that they gave their backing to the DA – in order to FORCE them into a working coalition agreement with smaller parties.
“We knew that if it came down to a choice between ActionSA and the ANC, the DA would choose the ANC, and we cannot allow the ANC to regain control when voters so clearly rejected them. We made a commitment to all South Africans that where we contest, we will unseat the ANC.”
“The prospect of these municipalities producing stable and effective governments now lies entirely with the DA and its ability to act in the interests of South Africa. We are available and willing to conclude negotiations that serve the residents.”
Herman Mashaba
Above all else, however, people are gatvol with the ANC
This cannot be overlooked. How many times can Cyril Ramaphosa tell us he’s ‘shocked’ by corruption? How many times can this party overpromise and underdeliver? And, above all else, how many times can load shedding be implemented before the voters start putting two and two together? This election was a breaking point for the electorate.
- As far as the DA is concerned, their new mayor has to lead a ‘rebuilding job’ in Johannesburg…
“The City of Johannesburg has been plagued by service delivery backlogs and challenges and our job now is to bring back the shine to the city of gold. Our mission now will be to implement solutions and bring an end to the challenges that face the beautiful city of Johannesburg.”
Solly Msimanga
