ANC and EFF

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“The cohesiveness of coalition parties is important for the future of South Africa, as we’ve seen that coalitions are the future of government in the country. Therefore, anyone walking away will be betraying that future,” he said.

The ANC and its alliance partner, Cosatu, has been adamant about strengthening the party so that coalition governments are not formed at provincial or national levels.

Former ANC president Thabo Mbeki this week emphasised how painful it had been to see opposition political parties boldly proclaiming that their existence was based on destroying the ANC and governing South Africa through a coalition. He was speaking at the memorial service of struggle stalwart and trade unionist Rita Ndzanga, who died on 24 August at the age of 88.

“Then we have to ask, what have we done to ourselves that we would have people with that kind of ‘courage’ determined to ensure that the ANC is destroyed? And that is not criticism of the ANC, that’s a reality we have to deal with.”

ANC Gauteng chairperson Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza said the party has had to go back to grass roots to ensure it could win back the hearts of voters.

“I think come 2024 a lot of people will go out and vote in their numbers. We will regain lost ground as the ANC... The reality is that we are taking a view, to go back to basics and represent the interests of the people. It is part of the renewal of the ANC. I do not think that those who wrote the obituary of the ANC will succeed.”

He took a swipe at the DA, saying it was an “arrogant” party that had alienated its black members.

Meanwhile, EFF leader Julius Malema has made it clear that, although the party is open to working with the ANC, it would only consider partnering with the DA in municipalities where it had managed to form a good working relationship.

After the 2021 municipal elections, the EFF voted in DA members to lead in a number of metros, including Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg. This despite the DA publicly denouncing the EFF, saying it would rather sit on opposition benches than enter into a coalition with it because of what had happened after 2016.

Their soured relationship resulted in the DA losing power in Joburg after the departure of Mashaba, who was the mayor at the time.

The feud

Malema’s gripe with the DA is that it has continued to speak ill of the EFF, despite the Red Berets having voted in the DA’s candidates in the majority of municipalities.

“At municipalities where we see that the DA here is desperate and wants our vote to emerge, we are going to show them flames... We are not kitchen girls and garden boys of Helen Zille, that they think they can insult us and say all manner of things they want to say about us.

“And then they will still get our vote because we want to appear good in front of the eyes of South Africans, voting for people who have no regard for us. The DA [has] got no regard for the EFF and the DA strategy everywhere is that the EFF must be stopped. Everybody must unite against the growth of the EFF.” ANC structures have already approached the EFF regarding municipalities that could become a problem for a number of DA-led multiparty governments.

“The ANC has now approached us in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal and they want to have a discussion about municipalities, and we welcome any form of engagement with anyone. As long as whatever engagement is based on improving the lives of our people, we are more than happy. We’ve never prioritised positions anywhere. As long as those who govern, govern in the best interest of our people. Our people have not elected us, we are happy to be an effective opposition. And that’s what we are everywhere, by the way, including in Tshwane,” he said.

Analysts weigh in

Political analyst Levy Ndou criticises how coalition agreements have been forged between parties thus far. Ndou believes that there should be sweeping changes made to strengthen the accountability of political parties that should include legally binding coalition agreements.

He takes issue with the clandestine manner in which agreements are usually negotiated, which add to the challenges facing coalition governments.

“Political parties should agree on a framework that is created to regulate coalitions. Coalitions should be formed in an open and transparent manner. Citizens should get involved and members of the coalition should be committed to be coalition partners for the period of an administration … in order to ensure that there is stability of governance and accountability.

“So, as long as there is no transparency and known agreement, as long as political elites are the ones to decide on allegiance, as long as coalitions are not based on an ideology, as long as they’re done secretly, without the knowledge of the citizens, we are going to encounter what we’re going through now,” Ndou said.

Political analyst Mcebisi Ndletayana said there had been minimal consequences for those who end up breaking agreements, much to the detriment of citizens.

Competition was inherent in any coalition; it was “the extent of which you actually have instability which depends on how extreme the tensions are and the policies of the other partner might be”.

“It is correct that you need to have binding [coalition agreements] and have them administered by an independent, possibly legal body for them to make sure that each party now abides by the agreement.

“So, that could be probably the only thing that might just regulate them maybe is binding agreements, but by just making sure that they’d be properly done. It is very strange that parties can do as they please without other

consequences,” he said.

Every week brings new confirmation of the dire situation in which South Africans find themselves. On 24 August, data from Statistics South Africa showed consumer inflation – at 7,8% – had reached its highest rate in 13 years. The hikes in prices for individual goods and services almost beggar belief: within a single year, the cost of a litre of petrol has shot up by 56.2%.

An analysis by of the price difference in basic grocery items as recently as five years ago brings it all home. In 2017, a loaf of brown bread cost R10.40. Today, that same loaf will set you back R17.99. Other prices have doubled in this time. You could buy two packets of yeast for R6.40 in 2017; now you will need R12.

“We can’t live like this. This is totally unsustainable,” trade unionist Zwelinzima Vavi told a press conference this week. Few would disagree.

The unions speak out – except about one critical issue

To show the government the strain that workers are under, trade union federations Saftu and Cosatu mobilised thousands to march in major cities this week, demanding state intervention in the cost of living crisis.

Everything from public sector salaries to load shedding and interest rates was on the unions’ agenda as contributing to the current crisis. Absent: the conflict in Ukraine. Yet, if the unions’ want to see their members’ wallets spared further pain, there is a strong argument that one of their major current moves should be pressuring the South