https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/south-africa-heads-coalition-anc-set-big-fall-2024-05-31/
The ANC has, as was predicted, done poorly, and apparently will need some coalition to stay in power.
Any predictions? I’ve heard the options described as pragmatism vs popularism?
Some basics on who the possible partners are.
@MrDibble should at least have some insights to share with the many of us who like me are interested but ignorant?
No real insights to share - it went as predicted, and now it comes down nationally to who the main coalition partner with the ANC will be. For the DA, the new National Health Insurance is a sticking point, for the MK Party, it’s the banning of their leader, former president Zuma (for, you know, being a convicted fraudster and all - sound familiar?)
Will this make much of a difference?
My understanding is that the major coalitions bring quite different likely paths forward with very different agendas.
My Western media reads paint a partnership with the DA as more of a move away from kleptocracy and to better economic growth, while aligning with the more populist parties might be an easier political sell.
But while that is filtered by sources more concerned I think with investment considerations than anything else that they represent differences from what has been seems likely.
Oh, yes, very much so. Which parties form a coalition will very strongly determine which way the country goes… more neoliberal, or more leftist (but the shitty kind of leftist). Also whether we ditch kleptocracy or embrace it further.
Much as I despise neoliberalism, it is the lesser of the two weevils facing us, IMO.
Watching
So, a GNU it is, and it includes the DA, so better than the alternative… we’ll have to see what cabinet is announced.
Thank you for the update!
The upcoming positions in France reminded me of the South African GNU and where things were left off. @MrDibble what is your assessment of the cabinet recently formed?
It’s OK. I’d have preferred if the DA had gotten one of the financial portfolios, as that’s actually one of their strengths, but the general makeup isn’t too bad.