NATASHA MARRIAN: (Un)Chartered territory — opposition parties make their move

Could 2024 be the year South Africa gets its first woman president?

The idea is wild right now, but the hunt for a “face” for the campaign of the multiparty charter opposition parties will take centre stage in the coming months. 

First mooted as the “moonshot pact” by the DA, the initiative now called the multiparty charter is officially a thing. The official opposition (the DA) and six other parties agreed to it at a two-day convention last week in Kempton Park, the site of the Codesa negotiations. 

The parties are the DA, the IFP, the FF Plus, ActionSA, the United Independent Movement, the Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa (a splinter from the ANC-aligned Sanco) and the Spectrum National Party. They hope that other formations, including the ACDP (which is said to be keen on joining), Mmusi Maimane’s Build One South Africa and Songezo Zibi’s Rise Mzansi, can be persuaded to join in the coming months. Zibi has indicated that his party would discuss, at a convention of its own later this year, whether it will participate.  

Among the decisions taken was that the largest party would not, by default, put forward the presidential candidate, in the event that the charter participants breach the 50% threshold to govern the country next year. Interestingly, this does not yet apply to provinces.

It is understood that this was a highly contested point during meetings in the 10 weeks before the convention, with the DA insisting it should put forward the presidential candidate. There was firm resistance and a compromise had been struck by the time the convention was held — the position of leader of government business, or the deputy president, would by default go to the single party with the most votes, likely to be the DA. 

But it is the identity of the presidential candidate that is crucial. It could become the factor which energises the about 13-million voters who have been ignoring  elections — and hand the charter participants a much-needed edge in the polls.

It is understood that  the parties feel the individual does not necessarily have to be from a charter participant, but could be an independent candidate who meets the criteria set out in the charter; it could be a woman. It is an enticing prospect. Even individually, the opposition parties represented are thin on women leadership. It is even more enticing when you consider that in the last election 55% of those registered to vote were women.

The ANC is the only party in parliament which has strict criteria for its lists of public representatives, ensuring that there is a 50/50 split in men and women on its benches at all levels of government.

Now that the charter has been signed, the difficult work begins for the parties — and for its independent chair and mediator, William Gumede. 

The parties will have to go back to their structures and convince them that the agreement they signed was in the party’s best interest: a tough ask. 

Already, there is opposition inside the second-largest party represented, the IFP, to its participation. The IFP’s Youth Brigade has, in a letter the FM has seen, called out the leadership for signing the charter (which explicitly excludes working with the ANC or EFF) — arguing that the document contradicts IFP national executive committee (NEC) decisions. IFP youth secretary Mlungisi Mabaso accuses the leadership of agreeing to the charter despite the NEC deciding that the IFP should not close the door on working with any party, and says the party had agreed not to enter into any agreements before the election. 

A defining feature of the charter is that it is a pre-election pact. 

The IFP was locked in talks on Monday over the matter — the leaders will have to convince the structures that the decision was in the party’s best interest. Other signatories will have to do the same, including the DA, where  John Steenhuisen will have to convince his party structures that giving up the presidential post, and potentially provincial premierships, was the best route.

The DA made another interesting concession — the charter completely rules out the possibility of a working arrangement between the ANC and the DA, should the pact fail to obtain a majority.

Next up for Gumede is to continue talks with other parties, as well as civil society, community-based organisations and churches, on supporting the charter. 

“Without broad community support, you cannot win,” he says. “It is very clear in coalitions around the world … that you need a strong civil society movement to create momentum alongside the parties and to campaign on your behalf.”

It took 10 tough meetings — and even bringing in life coaches — to get the seven signatories to this point. Still, for Gumede and the charter signatories, the hard work is only just beginning.