No major shift in SA politics in 24 Mbali Ntuli
Founder of non-profit company, Ground Work Collective (GWC) Mbali Ntuli says while the African National Congress (ANC) may take a bruising at next year’s polls, she doesn’t expect a major shift in the makeup of the country’s national politics.
Ntuli was speaking at the official launch of GWC in Johannesburg on Tuesday, where she emphasised the importance of civic education in holding politicians to account beyond their election into office as the focus of her organisation.
She says talk of coalitions at national government level should not be a scary concept, as she believes power-sharing and proportional representation across the board is what was envisioned in the country’s constitution.
“What I don’t think is going to be particularly a big change next year is a huge change in terms of the people that leave the governing party. I think they may be below 50%, but I think they have plans afoot to make sure that they’ll get what they need to make sure they govern.
“That shouldn’t make us despondent; that should incredibly that psychologically if people can see that it happening, they immediately see that there’s a need for them to continue to go out and vote and see that kind of result replicated.”
Ntuli says if voter turnout statistics don’t change, the Democratic Alliance’s moonshot pact is also unlikely to garner the necessary support.
“I don’t know if they’ve principally showed that, given the way that they’ve behaved in coalitions across the country…for me, I think the moonshot pact is more an avidity to try get funders behind these political parties more than it something that they actually they ultimately will be able to execute.”
ALSO READ: Steenhuisen: Moonshot pact to oust ANC starting to take shape
#MbaliNtuli says something has “gone badly wrong in the relationship between those who govern and the governed”, this has prompted initiative - the #GroundWorkCollective to make civic education the key element of their work. pic.twitter.com/cX0zzFlkto
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) April 18, 2023
ELECTORAL AMENDMENT BILL
Ntuli says she believes that in its current form, the Electoral Amendment Act will likely be challenged.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the bill into law on Monday.
“I think that for many people they were also hoping for the direct elections of independent elections not just at regional but at national level.
And there may just be some conversations about whether or not it's fair that an independent person is going to have to compete with a political party for the same pooling of seats. I think it’s a fair criticism.”
The law allows independent candidates to stand in provincial and national elections in 2024.
It also gives a space for independent candidates along regional lines, stipulating that in regions where individuals are contesting elections, ballot papers must include their names alongside political parties.
However, reacting to the announcement on Monday, My Vote Counts’ Lehlogonlo Letshele says there are discrepancies with the new law, and the bill is unfair to independent candidates.
Letshele says there was also not enough public participation before the bill was signed into law.
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