South African voters grow more discerning

Ballot papers are seen as voters casts their votes at Welizibuko Primary School in Soweto on 29 May 2024. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen South Africa’s main political parties must brace for a repeat of the seismic shifts first felt in Gauteng a decade ago when the ANC lost control of two metros and then Nelson Mandela Bay in 2016. What was then dismissed as a once-off anomaly has since become a trend, reshaping the political landscape.

This has forced supposedly stronger parties like the ANC and DA to devise strategies to fit into the hula-hoop of unmandated multipartyism. With local government elections around the corner, we are likely to see more of the same. The ANC, long accustomed to being referred to as the “ruling party”, is increasingly described as the “former ruling party” in urban centres.

Gauteng politics, in particular, has become a revolving door of leadership, where voters are quick to punish incumbents and no party can take its dominance for granted. Opposition parties are also facing the wrath of disillusioned citizens. The EFF and DA dropped vote counts, losing to uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party and Freedom Front Plus (FF+).

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Analysts argue that the lesson is clear: parties must ensure their manifestos align with the needs and aspirations of voters and deliver on promises once in office. Over the past three decades, South Africans have grown weary of unmet pledges and are willing to abandon once trusted parties, leaving them on the sidelines of power. This shift is pronounced among younger voters.

For them, liberation slogans and songs are no longer enough. They demand jobs, services and a sense of security for their future. The ballot has become a selective instrument, wielded with intent rather than loyalty.

Gauteng illustrates this dynamic vividly. The province has become the most unpredictable arena in South African politics.

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