The three main political parties have all launched their election manifestos, amid gimmicks, tricks, and spectacle. The ANC, the DA and the EFF are now in full campaign mode for the November 1 municipal polls.
But what if voters don’t buy the pitch of the big three or of the smaller parties on the ballot paper?
President Cyril Ramaphosa’s "we made mistakes but give us another chance" pitch was used in 2019 too. He vowed at the party’s launch on Monday that the ANC would put the right people in government this time, admitting it had not done so in the past.
But Ramaphosa’s speech was strange and out of touch. He spoke as if it were not the ANC running most of SA’s 278 municipalities and as if it were not responsible for mismanaging them, many beyond repair. He spoke as if it were not the ANC-led government responsible for the billing crisis in Joburg, the shambolic property valuations process in Ekurhuleni, the erratic water supply to poor communities and the service delivery problems which drive businesses out of small towns, taking jobs with them.
Many voters may not buy the grovelling.
The DA launched its manifesto with leader John Steenhuisen emphasising its ability to deliver — where the DA governs, it governs better, he argued. He said the party ran less than 10% of SA’s municipalities but the five top-performing ones are all DA-run. However, residents of Joburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay have had rather chequered experiences of DA-run metros since 2016. And DA federal council chair Helen Zille’s shift to the right may alienate voters.
The Third Republic aims to provide 'an alternative to the party politics which have left our communities voiceless'
Then there is the EFF, which has not yet been tested in governing a municipality. The party played a kingmaker role in the 2016 polls, which did not end without controversy. Reports surfaced of its influence in tenders for the City of Joburg, where it helped the DA take power through a co-operation agreement. The party has denied the reports. Some of its leaders have also been embroiled in VBS Bank fraud allegations. The EFF may well be appealing to the ANC’s radical economic transformation faction, but whether it will register significant growth remains to be seen.
The choices are not great — but voters can always fall back on independent candidates, who have been quietly growing their support in recent local elections. In the past two municipal elections, independents received more than 300,000 votes. If added together as a party, it would be the fifth largest in SA.
More South Africans voted for independent candidates in the 2016 local government election than for established political parties such as the Freedom Front Plus, the African Christian Democratic Party, Bantu Holomisa’s United Democratic Movement and the Congress of the People. But while the proportional representation system in place in municipal polls is designed to benefit smaller parties, it disadvantages independent candidates. Still, there seems to be an increase in independents — former DA leader Mmusi Maimane has officially helped 270 candidates to register in 12 municipalities, for example.
There is also a newly formed nonprofit organisation called The Third Republic, which provides support for independent candidates. It says the need for independents is greater than ever, since the 2016 election showing how messy coalition governments can be.
"We created The Third Republic to give South Africans an alternative to the party politics which have left our communities underdeveloped and voiceless. We want to support councillors who are loyal to their communities," it says.
It may just be worth looking out for a well-known community activist standing as an independent instead of giving up on the democratic process by staying home on election day.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.