Last week, I wrote about the “democracy test” South Africa was faced with as her people headed to the polls on 3 August 2016.
This week, as results were finalised, an even bigger task lies ahead – who will govern and what will that look like?
This year’s 2016 local government elections were the most notable in South Africa’s short democracy as the ruling ANC performed the worst in its history.
The main opposition, the DA, has reaped the benefits of that – managing to bring the ANC below the 50% in three major metros in SA: Nelson Mandela Bay, Tshwane, and Johannesburg. These are significant for economic and political symbolism.
No one can govern without at least 50% of the vote in any sphere of government.
This means coalition governments are the order of the day.
Legally, municipalities have 14 days to put together their governments. And the clock is now ticking.
The question isn’t whether coalitions – where two or more different parties form a partnership to establish a government – are possible. It is whether it will be sustainable.
The first prize – obviously – is to do the work of government without the interference of your political opponents – but when that fails, compromises must be reached.
As political parties continue to negotiate what those governments will look like, they will be careful to make promises they cannot keep. Policies, after all, are restricted to what is within the law.
And whether your opponents respect the law in the same way you do, is something that will have to be determined in the agreements that are reached.
So, perhaps to add to my statement from last week: it isn’t just about casting a ballot peacefully and handing over to the victors. It seems it is about whether the coalition can be formed to last the term (five years).
It is possible and it has been done before.
In 2006, a DA-led coalition took over the City of Cape Town with seven other parties! Wow!
The fact that it lasted and transitioned into a single party government afterwards is an incredible achievement.
Can South Africa replicate this elsewhere in the country?
I certainly hope so.