In his January 8 statement at the Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga, President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a warning to South Africans about the potential challenges of coalition governments.
With elections scheduled for later this year, there is a growing concern that the African National Congress (ANC) may receive less than 50% of the national vote, necessitating the formation of a coalition government to retain power.
While South Africa has not previously been governed by a coalition government at the national level, several metropolitan municipalities, including the City of Johannesburg and Nelson Mandela Bay, have experienced coalition governments in recent years. However, these coalitions have often encountered significant obstacles and have been labeled as dysfunctional.
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President Ramaphosa highlighted the negative consequences of such coalitions, stating, “The frustrating experience of dysfunctional coalition governments has shown that they don’t work for the people but for the political deal-makers intent on advancing their own personal interests.”
He emphasized that service delivery tends to suffer when coalition governments fail to function effectively.
Furthermore, the President expressed concerns about the potential replication of this chaos, instability, and dysfunctionality at the national and provincial levels, emphasizing that it would be a disaster that the country cannot afford. He called upon ANC members and supporters to prevent such a scenario from occurring.
Ramaphosa urged ANC supporters to actively engage with the public, stating, “We call on all ANC members and supporters to go to every farm, village, and township, to every town, city, and suburb to account to the people as we seek a renewed democratic mandate to defend and advance the gains of three decades of freedom.”
Coalition governments can present unique challenges due to the diverse interests and ideologies of the participating parties.
They require compromise and cooperation to effectively govern and deliver on the promises made to the electorate. However, history has shown that coalition governments can often become mired in internal disputes, power struggles, and a lack of clear direction.
South Africa’s experience with coalition governments in metropolitan municipalities has highlighted the difficulties in achieving effective governance. These coalitions have struggled to implement policies and deliver services efficiently, often resulting in frustration and disillusionment among the public.
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