South Africa’s 2024 Elections: Democracy Speaks

Following South Africa’s pivotal 29 May elections, the African National Congress (ANC) lost its outright parliamentary majority for the first time in the nation’s 30-year democracy. This remains to be a historic and devastating blow to the party once led by Nelson Mandela. The ANC, under the current leadership of President Cyril Ramaphosa, has remained the country’s leading party since the nation’s first democratic elections in 1994. This development poses a fundamental change to South Africa’s political landscape, forcing the ANC to share its power via the institution of a coalition government.

Support for the incumbent party has been on a steady decline, due to increasing unemployment, high levels of corruption, and persistently high crime rates. As such, citizens have clearly expressed their frustration at the polls. However, the 2024 elections saw its lowest voter turnout in the country’s 30-year democracy. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) reported a 58.64 percent voter turnout, indicating an 8 percent decrease in voter attendance from 2019. This year’s elections saw minor glitches, citing complaints from various parts of the country about long queues, dysfunctional scanners, and the conduct of IEC staff. Several voting stations suffered long wait times that extended well into the early hours of the next day. There were also administrative issues corresponding to the addition of the third ballot - the national regional ballot. It is important to note that prior to this election cycle, the IEC’s funding was cut by over R200 million which also hindered its performance.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) observed that 83 percent voting stations were opened on time, and 98 percent of ballot boxes were assembled in the presence of party agents and observers. Moreover, the commission contended that most voters took more than 30 minutes to complete their voting process: 16 percent took 2 hours or longer, 46 percent took 30-90 minutes, and 38 percent took less than 10 minutes. More than 70 percent of voting stations suffered connectivity issues, forcing election officials to toggle between the online and manual voting systems. This also contributed to slower wait times. In terms of safety, no significant security incidents occurred. Minor incidents such as raised tempers or party agent interference were swiftly handled by the South African Police Service (SAPS). 

With all of the votes counted and verified, the ANC has lost over 15 percent of its support - with the party now standing at a voter share of 40.18 percent. The ANC’s main opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), received the second-highest number of votes (21.81 percent). Newcomer uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK) led by former President Jacob Zuma, surpassed the Julius Malema-led Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) for the third spot with 14.58 percent. The ANC won five out of the country's nine provinces, securing a firm majority in Limpopo (73 percent), the Eastern Cape (62 percent), North West (57 percent), Mpumalanga (52 percent) and Free State (52 percent). The ANC fell short in the Northern Cape (49 percent) and in Gauteng (35 percent), forcing the party to find coalition partners in the DA and EFF. uMkhonto we Sizwe saw victory in Kwa-Zulu Natal, securing 45 percent of the vote. Moreover, smaller parties such as RISE Mzanzi, Build One South Africa with Mmusi Maimane (BOSA) and the Patriotic Alliance gained momentum in parliamentary seats. 

Given the ANC’s loss, South Africa finds itself in uncharted waters as it heads for a coalition government. In accordance with South Africa’s constitution, leading parties now have two weeks to elect a president and to establish a government. Party leaders have met regarding prospective coalition permutations, finding favour in the establishment of a “government of national unity”. This would require all parties to determine a mutually agreed upon plan for South Africa’s future, an idea that is highly unlikely. Another option corresponds to an ANC-DA alliance. This option could possibly ensure the implementation of a stable government, as opposed to a government formed by several, smaller parties. However, ANC and DA constituencies highly oppose one another, making a ANC-DA coalition difficult to justify to voters. The DA, EFF and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) have respectively stated that they were open to talks with the majority party as to how a government can be formed. 

On the other hand, the MK party noted that it was open to an ANC-MK coalition - without President Cyril Ramaphosa in charge. MK alleged that the 29 May election was “rigged”, despite gaining significant traction in the polls. Their call was deemed unfounded, given that the party had submitted a legal demand to the IEC which contained no mention of an electoral rerun. Upon calls made by former President Zuma, the party threatened violence following the announcement of the elections’ results but to no avail. The newcomer party has called for the abolishment of South Africa’s constitution, contending that it should be replaced by an “unfettered parliamentary sovereignty”.

As South Africa welcomes its seventh democratic Parliament, the country remains unsure as awaits to hear who its leader will be for the next five years. The country faces several problems - high youth unemployment, a failing state infrastructure and crippling poverty. That being said, the incoming coalition must put aside any and all divisions for the sake of the nation. As the world’s most unequal country, South Africa requires a robust state in order to build a functioning future - both for the public and private sector. A coalition government may lead the country into a more promising national situation. However, this is solely dependent on the establishment of an aligned and constructive relationship between citizens and their representatives - whoever they may be.

Edited by GorStra Team | Image Credits: Gallo Images/Lefty Shivambu

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South Africa’s 2024 Elections: A Snapshot