This is what a coalition government will look like for SA
Breakfast with Martin Bester spoke to political analyst Dr Harlan Cloete about what a coalition government would mean for South Africa.
On Wednesday, 29 May 2024, South Africans came together to practice their democratic right and vote in the latest democratic election.
The results are in, and for the first time since the 1994 elections, the ANC did not win an outright majority (over 50%) to govern the country.
As of 2 June 2024, the ANC managed to get 40.18% of the national vote. DA came second with 21.81%, and MK came third with 14.58%. This was followed by the EFF (9.52%), the IFP (3,85%), and the PA (2,06%), making up the final three of the top six political parties in this year's election.
Breakfast with Martin Bester spoke to Dr Harlan Cloete, a political analyst and research fellow at the University of Free State, to help us better understand this outcome.
According to Cloete, a party needs over 50% to govern in South Africa and pass legislation.
In the past, the ANC could just use its majority seat in parliament to pass legislation, but not having the majority votes means this will no longer be possible, and a coalition government will be the future to make up the over 50% needed to govern.
A coalition means that one or more parties will have to work together to pass legislation and agree on the outcomes of certain rulings in the country.
He added that coalitions have not proven to work well on a local level in South Africa, but he hoped that a national coalition would prove different.
According to Cloete, these are the possible coalitions:
- Cloete believes the best scenario for a coalition would be the ANC and DA, which would offer more stability for the country. These parties have the most experience and can hold each other accountable. The market will also favour this coalition, said Cloete.
- An ANC, MK, and EFF coalition is also a possibility, although this might be more difficult as the MK and EFF might not want to work with the current president, Cyril Ramaphosa.
- A broad government coalition consisting of the top six parties is also possible.
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Image: AFP