ANC to win due to weak opposition

There are many political parties in South Africa. However, only three enjoy a large following: the ANC, as the governing party, the DA as the official opposition and the EFF as the thirdlargest party in the country.

The ANC has been in power for the past 24 years of our democracy and, according to polls, it’s going to win the next elections. Many think that is not healthy for our democracy, but thanks to our ineffective opposition.

The official opposition is supposed to be an alternative, a government-inwaiting. However, the DA is floundering and bankrupt of ideas, instead of attracting voters, it’s alienating them.

During Jacob Zuma’s tenure, the opposition appeared strong and effective because they were riding on Zuma’s many blunders that compromised economic growth and service delivery, among others. He was a gift that kept on giving to the opposition.

However, as soon as Zuma stepped down and Cyril Ramaphosa took over, the opposition became muted, unbalanced and incoherent. It is yet to recover. This is because its strategy to score political points and woo voters was centred around Zuma.

The general elections are around the corner. The ANC has already launched its elections manifesto, although not offering anything new but the same old promise that it will accelerate the process of service delivery.

The opposition are yet to launch their manifestos but the election results are a forgone conclusion, as already indicated.

That means opposition parties will be competing among themselves for the second and third positions. This is a grave disservice to the voters. When will the status quo change?

Thabile Mange, Joburg