South Africa’s great coalition dating game
In the matchmaking merry-go-round that is South African politics, larger parties are increasingly leaning on smaller ones to shore up their power. In leveraging their outsize influence the small guys are the political winners — but, so far, it’s the electorate that’s losing out
11 May 2023 - 05:03
Before the Easter weekend, Freedom Front Plus (FF+) chief whip Corné Mulder hosted a lunch at his home. It was a casual event but would be crucial for the coalition landscape in South Africa, from Joburg to Matzikama, Kou-Kamma to Rustenburg, Lekwa to uMdoni. In attendance were two key players: DA leader John Steenhuisen and Gayton McKenzie, leader of the Patriotic Alliance (PA).
Though at Mulder’s house, the meeting had been organised at the behest of Steenhuisen, who has been looking to unite South Africa’s opposition parties in a “moonshot pact” to unseat the ANC in the 2024 national election...
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