Herman Mashaba on South Africa post-election ’24: The cost of adapting to change
Post-2024 South Africa has entered a transformative political era, marked by the decline of ANC dominance and the rise of multiparty governance. While challenges abound—including weakened institutions, porous borders, and economic struggles—this period offers an opportunity to reshape the nation's future. Herman Mashaba writes that ActionSA remains committed to ethical, inclusive leadership, focusing on local governance and constructive opposition. By prioritizing voter concerns and effective policymaking, the party aims to demonstrate that there's a better way to lead and govern.
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By Herman Mashaba
I can bet my last penny that even to the most experienced analysts and commentators, pre and post 2024 electoral South Africa has been a period of many unexpected political shifts. The outcome of the elections has been a victory in some ways – for democracy in South Africa – and a loss in others, but it has certainly bequeathed us with a political environment that we must consider to be ripe for shaping a future away from the 30 years of one-party domination and well-recorded abuses, a place none of us should wish for a return to.
One-party dominance must be shunned forever
It might often seem impossible to defeat a party that has dominated any country's politics for decades, but it is certainly not impossible. The people of Botswana have shown us that it can be done successfully, peacefully, and decisively. Unlike in Botswana, we, in South Africa, seem to have chosen to do it progressively, not in one go. Considering the at least two decades of damage to the country's vital institutions, it's unfortunate, but perhaps not such a bad thing.
We should hope that this trend towards multiparty governance gets normalised over time, underpinned by solid, legislated procedures. It should continue not because we hate the ANC but because we love South Africa more and must do all we can to remove it out of further harm by any party that might gain dominance in the future.
What keeps me awake at night is to see the extent to which we seem to have forgotten the reasons for which so many accidental politicians entered the space and spent so much energy in the period leading to the 2024 elections calling for the defeat of the ANC.
Don't get me wrong, a coalition government with many voices in it, leading South Africa through what is generally referred to as a Government of National Unity (GNU), is the right step away from one party dominance. But it is only a start. Next must be a concerted drive for a wholesome policy review and consolidation to avoid a repeat of the weakening and repurposing of our vital institution to suit the aims of unethical individuals who might be appointed/elected to run them, then go rogue on us. Importantly, policy revision and consolidation must happen to avoid repeatedly using the same approaches and expecting different outcomes. We know that repeatedly doing things the same way while expecting different outcomes is a sure sign of stupidity.
Even we were not spared
Admittedly, the post 2024 electoral outcome has not spared ActionSA, the party that I lead, from the need to also look into the mirror and reassess some of the hard stances we had taken before the elections and to revise aspects of our approach to political engagement. Pretending as if nothing has changed – especially given our unexpectedly disappointing show in the elections – would be careless.
Our policies and intention to build a non-racial, non-sexist, anti-discrimination, and economically inclusive South Africa, have not changed. We have long begun to align the way we communicate to the realities of our time, mindful of the growing concerns of South Africans, especially people living in poor rural and township communities.
Let's face it, the best place to be for any party aiming to change things is in government, and the best way to stand a chance of being in government is to respond to the cries of the voters with convincing solutions that speak directly to those cries, not lofty ideas that might seem too far removed from everyday voter concerns, even if they might bring lasting solutions over time, if implemented. ActionSA's attainment of leadership in our capital city, which is South Africa's seat of national government and the country's diplomatic hub, as well as its drive to gain executive positions in the Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni Metros, form part of our drive to positively influence governance at local level to benefit all residents of the respective Metros.
Below are some additional realities to acknowledge:
- The ANC's hold on power has been massively reduced to 40%, even if it managed to hold on to key government portfolios of Finance, Foreign Policy, Small Business Development, Health, Defence, etc., in the resultant GNU.
- The MKP came in almost from nowhere, with no policies to propose, but managed to effectively ride on heightened emotional fervour and weaponised victimhood to take a big chunk of voter support.
- Local/township economic development to benefit South Africans has been weakened and worsened in recent years.
- The weakness of porous borders is biting hard, ending with increasing numbers of economic casualties and loss of South African lives, most of which are defenceless children.
Clearly, the political status quo is untenable. Somethings must give. While ActionSA will continue to play its chosen role of constructive opposition by placing the spotlight on GNU weaknesses and failures and raising critical issues of governance in the national assembly, it will also use its position to positively transform governance in Tshwane and influence constructive change in other Metros.
The relatively short period since the 2024 elections has proven to us that it is not the size of our caucus in parliament and local government that matters, but its effectiveness through quality placements of effective, ethical, and hardworking representatives. This is the route that we are determined to keep following – guided by our values and uncompromising anti-corruption stance – to show South Africans that there indeed another way to lead and govern.
I am quite aware that some of the decisions we have made in recent months – necessitated by the changed political environment – about whom we work with, have resulted in levels of disappointment and anger in some quarters. These initial reactions have been understandable, but it is reassuring to see increasing numbers of South Africans beginning to understand our position and embrace us again. To them and to others out there I repeat that they can rest assured, ActionSA's values and placing what is best for our country and all South Africans ahead of all else will never be for sale to the highest bidder.
We mean business about leading for positive change to Fix South Africa.
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