South Africa's 2024 Elections: A Turning Point Amidst Uncertainty and Challenges

After 30 years of democracy, South Africa is having another potentially historic vote. The opposition is fragmented, with 70 political parties and 11 independent candidates contesting today, May 29, 2024, national and provincial elections.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has been in power since the end of apartheid in 1994. However, it has lost a lot of support. They have yet to live up to a lot of promises made previously.

We are expecting a coalition government; as South Africans, we are not sure if it will bring the change that is required because with a coalition, less work is done – as most parties tend to fight amongst themselves and lose focus of what is essential which is providing the service required to build and have a system that works for the people of South Africa. A lot of the youth population is unemployed; there is a decline in economic growth and a threat to food security in the agriculture industry, which most rely on government funding.

The top opposing parties, DA and the EFF, are not showing significant growth either.

The ANC is losing support to independent parties and to South Africa’s former President Jacob Zuma’s new political party, mainly in his home province of KwaZulu-Natal.

According to pre-election research, Zuma’s return to politics has been broadly embraced by many former ANC voters in KwaZulu-Natal, who abandoned the party after Zuma resigned in 2018 and have flocked to his banner. This increases political tension ahead of the pivotal vote and threat of violence, which is now heightened by the recent news of Jacob Zuma being disqualified from standing in the May 29 election. Therefore, this poses the risk of unrest protests, assassinations, and shootings, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, which have been occurring between rival parties in that province, for the last three years.

However, President Cyril Ramaphosa has promised South Africans that the authorities will clamp down on any civil unrest, and he has asserted that security forces are ready to deal with any threat of violence.

The outcome of the elections will have great implications for South Africa's ailing economy, which has been distressed in recent years. More businesses are still struggling to survive with financial challenges that are not improving amidst an ongoing energy crisis, violent crime, and high unemployment.

With slow economic growth, the Rand (South African Currency) continues to weaken against foreign currency, causing debtors to request moratoriums or extensions of payment terms. This makes it difficult for debtors to recover and further trade with suppliers locally and internationally.

Written by: Dineo Nkopane-Lekotjolo

*This article is informative and is not to be used as legal, economic, or commercial advice.

Sources: Aljazeera I, Aljazeera II, AON