Political Parties in South Africa: We Explain All the Difficulties and Differences
In South Africa, it isn’t easy to understand why our political parties are so messed up. Our country is filled with intelligent, capable, and responsible people. Therefore, it’s hard to believe that we struggle so much in the political sphere. However, the unfortunate reality is that many people feel alienated by the state of politics in this country. It’s not uncommon for people to say they feel ‘politically homeless’ or don’t have any options when voting. At the same time, this is primarily due to voters having no interest in something as trivial as politics – not every problem can be blamed on apathy and ignorance. Let’s look at some of the problems with South African political parties and whether there might be an answer in the future…
The problem with the current state of political parties in South Africa
The main problem with South African political parties is that they are not in a healthy state. At the moment, each party is struggling to survive. This can be attributed to a variety of reasons. Firstly, there’s no real incentive for people to join a party. There’s no clear pathway to climb the ranks, and there’s no guarantee that you’ll even get a seat in parliament. Secondly, parties have no real power. The government system in South Africa is not conducive to solid parties. The system focuses on strong individuals with strong personalities and strong personal brands. This is why we see so much infighting and jostling for positions. Thirdly, the parties are highly diverse. There are no clear lines between parties. It can be tough to determine where one party ends and another begins.
Who is to blame for the current state of affairs?
Many people can be blamed for the current state of affairs in the South African political sphere. The majority of people would point their fingers at the ANC. These people would argue that the ANC has been in power for too long and that they’ve become complacent. They would say that the ANC is using its power to silence opposition and are not doing enough to progress in South Africa. The only problem with this argument is that the ANC did lose the last election. They lost a significant number of seats and did not win an outright majority. Therefore, they are not using their power to silence opposition, they are trying their best to govern while maintaining a non-racial coalition.
The corruption problem
Within the ANC, there is a significant problem with corruption. The majority of the people who are governing the country are deeply corrupt. There is a real problem with ANC politicians enriching themselves at the expense of the people. This is being highlighted more and more with each passing year. Unfortunately, the ANC has no clear way of dealing with corruption. The ANC is a very loose coalition of parties. Within this coalition live very different ideologies and policies. There is no clear way of dealing with corruption. One person’s idea of how to deal with it may be completely different from another’s. This lack of clear and consistent policies within the ANC makes it difficult for them to govern effectively.
Lack of trust in the party system
The ANC has failed to maintain the trust of the people. It is challenging to earn people’s confidence when your party system is so unorganized and full of people with no interest in governing. Unfortunately, South Africans have lost faith in their governing body. They do not trust their government. Therefore, it is a futile effort for the ANC to regain the people’s trust. They can do little to repair their image or regain the public’s trust. They have tried the best they can. In some instances, they have tried too hard. The ANC has tried to govern with an iron fist. They want to silence their opposition and remove them from the political sphere. They want to rule with an iron fist because they feel threatened. They feel like they are in danger of losing power.
Inconsistent ideologies and policies
Unfortunately, the ANC has very little in the way of consistent ideologies and policies. This has led to the ANC being very inconsistent in its governing practices. People find it challenging to ascertain what the ANC stands for. It seems like the ANC has no fundamental ideology or policy. This makes it very easy for them to be influenced by whoever is around them. It also makes it very easy for them to turn against their ideologies whenever they feel like it. It also makes it very difficult for people to understand what the ANC is trying to do. This inconsistency makes it very difficult for the ANC to govern and keep South Africa together.
Conclusion
South Africa needs new political parties. The old parties do not have the ability or the potential to govern the country any longer. They are too far gone. They are too corrupt. They have too many conflicting ideologies and policies. They are too inconsistent. They have lost the ability to govern effectively. It is time for new parties to rise and challenge the old.
