One political analyst believes that the two-day multi-party convention that kicks off on Wednesday will not yield the anticipated result.
Seven political parties – the Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Freedom Front Plus (FF+), ActionSA, United Independent Movement (UIM), Spectrum National Party (SNP), and Independent South African National Civics Organisation (ISANCO) – will be exploring a pre-election agreement aimed at forming an alternative government to the African National Congress (ANC) following next year’s elections.
The DA has urged South Africans to register to vote to ensure that the ANC achieves less than 50% of the popular vote ensuring a multiparty government.
However, political analyst John Molepo says the obstacles to the so-called moonshot pact is the fact that the country’s opposition is generally weak and parties have disparate ideologies.
“Once you enter into a coalition arrangement, somehow you lose your identity and the ones who have the majority have power in that particular coalition arrangement, they become more stronger than you. So, it is like you are entering into a setup which is already prearranged, you are just entering for the sake of entering because you want power.
“So, in this particular arrangement, I think that those with more seats and more numbers are going to determine and direct what is going to happen. Those in the minority or with smaller numbers will end up leaving that arrangement because of their discomfort,” adds Molepo.
John Steenhuisen’s address on the historic multi-party National Convention:
