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The SA political scene is like a loose scrum in rugby. You don’t know where to expect the ball. The ANC still dominates the game, but its opposition is gaining ground all the time.
The ANC is undergoing a credibility and leadership crisis and internal strife weakens the party. The situation creates uncertainty and leads to a vacuum where new parties and movements are moving in at a rapid rate. Unfortunately there is a lot of opportunism involved.
A rearrangement of political forces is on the cards. The coalition politics I have long foreseen is already the order of the day at the local level, but there are serious growing pains.
On the positive side, President Cyril Ramaphosa, with his strategic and patient approach that frustrates so many, seems to be consolidating his position within the party. He is beginning to look like a certain winner in the upcoming leadership battle.
We are not yet ready for a country without the ANC. The question is who the coalition partners will be should the ANC lose its majority. The DA shoots itself in the foot on a regular basis and is losing credible black leaders. It all started with the marriage between the DA and the NP.
Parties with a largely exclusive membership base, such as the FF+, are certainly not in high demand as coalition partners. The EFF thankfully remains a 10% party, a sign of the maturing of the electorate, but the more radical wing of the ANC will welcome it back should the ANC lose its majority. Herman Mashaba’s ActionSA looks like a potential kingmaker in future, but there is much work to be done.
The key question is whether Ramaphosa will be re-elected ANC president. If so, he is expected to take firm control in his second term and be more decisive in achieving his goals. If that is the case, the ANC may retain its majority, or at least play a leading role in a coalition government.
Without Ramaphosa as leader, the faction fights within the ANC will become more intense and political instability will increase. There is a long road ahead, but it is advisable to tighten your safety belts in the meantime — the political loose scrum is bound to continue for some time.
Dawie Jacobs, Sterrewag
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Ramaphosa’s fate is the key to the future
The SA political scene is like a loose scrum in rugby. You don’t know where to expect the ball. The ANC still dominates the game, but its opposition is gaining ground all the time.
The ANC is undergoing a credibility and leadership crisis and internal strife weakens the party. The situation creates uncertainty and leads to a vacuum where new parties and movements are moving in at a rapid rate. Unfortunately there is a lot of opportunism involved.
A rearrangement of political forces is on the cards. The coalition politics I have long foreseen is already the order of the day at the local level, but there are serious growing pains.
On the positive side, President Cyril Ramaphosa, with his strategic and patient approach that frustrates so many, seems to be consolidating his position within the party. He is beginning to look like a certain winner in the upcoming leadership battle.
We are not yet ready for a country without the ANC. The question is who the coalition partners will be should the ANC lose its majority. The DA shoots itself in the foot on a regular basis and is losing credible black leaders. It all started with the marriage between the DA and the NP.
Parties with a largely exclusive membership base, such as the FF+, are certainly not in high demand as coalition partners. The EFF thankfully remains a 10% party, a sign of the maturing of the electorate, but the more radical wing of the ANC will welcome it back should the ANC lose its majority. Herman Mashaba’s ActionSA looks like a potential kingmaker in future, but there is much work to be done.
The key question is whether Ramaphosa will be re-elected ANC president. If so, he is expected to take firm control in his second term and be more decisive in achieving his goals. If that is the case, the ANC may retain its majority, or at least play a leading role in a coalition government.
Without Ramaphosa as leader, the faction fights within the ANC will become more intense and political instability will increase. There is a long road ahead, but it is advisable to tighten your safety belts in the meantime — the political loose scrum is bound to continue for some time.
Dawie Jacobs, Sterrewag
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments to letters@businesslive.co.za. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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