Political Analyst Sandile Swana says the expansion of the local political landscape could be beneficial to the voters who are left out by existing political parties.
This comes as 17 new political parties have reportedly registered with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in a space of three months.
The IEC says that it expects the number of new political parties to continue rising.
The commission says that more than 500 parties could potentially contest next year’s elections.
Swana says that having fewer political parties fuels corruption.
He says, “We must not think that it’s a given that having fewer political parties is actually a proven formula that must be followed by everybody.”
“ The concentration of political powers in a smaller group of people, as we have experienced from 1948 until now, being the National Party, and the African National Congress, is that these people who have political power end up feeding themselves, and excluding others. There are people who have been excluded from the ANC, some having been members for 50- years and longer.”
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