PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – APRIL 27: Leader of the Democratic Alliance, Mmusi Maimane,with Nelson Mandela’s eldest granddaughter, Ndileka Mandela during Freedom movement rally in Pretoria. He delivered the keynote address. Opposition parties, religious leaders and civil society came together to protest against President Jacob Zuma at The Caledonian Stadium, Tshwane on Freedom Day. This day commemorates the country’s first post-apartheid elections held in 1994. This year signals 23 years of South Africa’s democracy. (Photo by Gallo Images / Alet Pretorius)
DA looking to build ‘alternative’ coalition government to lead SA after 2019 election
Opposition leader Mmusi Maimane is taking advantage of the deterioration of the ANC Tripartite Alliance, and plans to build one of his own design.
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – APRIL 27: Leader of the Democratic Alliance, Mmusi Maimane,with Nelson Mandela’s eldest granddaughter, Ndileka Mandela during Freedom movement rally in Pretoria. He delivered the keynote address. Opposition parties, religious leaders and civil society came together to protest against President Jacob Zuma at The Caledonian Stadium, Tshwane on Freedom Day. This day commemorates the country’s first post-apartheid elections held in 1994. This year signals 23 years of South Africa’s democracy. (Photo by Gallo Images / Alet Pretorius)
A little background on the current state of coalition politics in South Africa: The ANC currently occupies the Union Buildings by the grace of the South African Communist Party (SACP) and Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), the Tripartite Alliance.
The Democratic Alliance governs the Cities of Johannesburg, Tshwane and nelson Mandela bay through coalitions with the EFF and several other municipalities have a similar arrangement.
Now, while the ANC Tripartite Alliance has held long enough for the ruling party to remain just that, the ANC itself has made a departure from its allies and even publicly lashed out against both Cosatu and the SACP; who have both called for Zuma to resign after his latest cabinet reshuffle.
Read: Zuma shoots alliance in the foot, slams SACP and Cosatu as he endorses Dlamini-Zuma for presidency
While all is not well within the Tripartite Alliance now, it is set to get even worse should the ANC not elect Deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa as its president. No alliance means no win in the 2019 election – and even with Ramaphosa, a win is not guaranteed for the ANC come 2019.
Watch: Mbete accidentally calls Cyril Ramaphosa the Hon. President, parliament erupts
At the same time, the DA has steadily been absorbing a growing number of voters, so much so that it has become the dominant party in several traditionally ANC municipalities outside the Western Cape, where its hold on power is now absolute and unchallenged.
In anticipation of a crippling election outcome for the ANC in 2019, DA leader Mmusi Maimane has been negotiating with other opposition leaders to form an alternative government, ready to take over the Union Buildings in 2019.
Speaking to folks in Braamfontein, Maimane said the future of the country lies in a coalition government.
“Our new path will require a lot of courage from every single one of us because this is a journey we have never travelled before and it will feel unfamiliar. It will be like nothing we have ever known,” Maimane said.
“I am currently engaged in talks with other opposition parties in order to deepen our cooperation, and I will keep these channels of communication open until we go to the polls in 2019,” he said, adding that those political parties who would want to join the coalition would have to put their differences aside and work together.
The DA has, to a larger degree than the ANC, managed to cooperate with its coalition partners to the point where effective governance has been possible, but it would be interesting to see how other political ideals fit into the official opposition’s rigid federal structure with its unrelenting disciplinary processes.
It certainly wouldn’t be the first time a coalition government managed to effectively reshape politics and lead a country forward. Just look at Germany, Holland, Austria, Italy, France, Belgium… the list goes on.
Listen: Mbeki explains why the ANC has run out of time, fallen out of favour
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