Eddie Cross's Website

The Outcome of the South African Elections

A good friend of mine in South Africa, former Editor of the Star and a major commentator on South African politics, Alister Sparks. told me 10 years ago, that the ANC would lose its majority about this time. He then said that South Africa would then enter a very different era of Government. I am sad that he was no longer alive to see this happen.

First a few observations: -

- The ANC knew this was coming, every recent poll put them at 37 to 45 per cent national vote and no one predicted they would retain their historical majority in Parliament.
- Despite this, the ANC allowed the rules for such an event to be followed and the vote was cast and counted properly.
- The election was reasonably well run by African standards and was peaceful by South African standards.

I watched the announcement of the results by the IEC in Johannesburg and then listened to the reaction of the State President. In my view it was an exceptional speech by a Head of State who had just suffered defeat. He accepted the result and stated that in his view, the people of South Africa had spoken and that the ANC and the rest of the political spectrum had to listen and respond.

Then came the day-long meeting of the ANC National Executive structures three days later. After that Mr Ramaphosa made a second, and just as exceptional speech. In that speech he announced, what I think, could be the salvation of South Africa in the longer term. He was very clear, the ANC would form, not a coalition Government, but a National Unity Government. He then went on to lay out in clear terms the principles on which the GNU would take shape. These principles would constitute the foundations of the new Government, any party which could not accept these principles would be isolated and excluded.

I listened carefully to the long list of principles and they included pretty much everything a person might want to see in a responsible and democratic Government. They included respect of the Constitution, the rule of law, all basic human and political rights, property rights. I listened and I thought, my goodness, they are going to do it. The DA held onto the Western Cape but made little headway anywhere else, still, increasing their national presence slightly. The EFF lost ground, even in the North and in the KwaZulu Province, Jacob Zuma and his MK Party made stunning inroads to the ANC and Inkata strengths with 18 per cent of the national poll. Significant, but all it represented was an ethnic grouping of Zulu and related tribes with no policies and whose agenda has long lost its relevance in modern Africa.

But in my view, the election result in South Africa and the reaction of its leadership might well pave the way for Africa to demonstrate that the classical democratic model imposed on most of Africa in its post-colonial history - an English style Parliament with Government on one side and the opposition on the other, elections where the first past the post, rules, is simply not African. Even though, South Africa had hundreds of years of independence from the colonial powers of Europe, its legacy came through in the transitional Constitution.

Why do I say that? Because what many in the rest of the world do not understand, is that Africa has its own political cultures, developed over generations and which in most cases allowed African societies to settle disputes and make decisions that were binding on the Communities they served. When I was a small boy growing up in the eastern Matobo Hills, I was to be permitted on occasion to watch a meeting of Tribal leaders meet to discuss current local problems. In the aftermath of the Ndebele Rebellion in the late 1890's, Rhodes had meet Ndebele leaders here to discuss peace. The decisions reached in that meeting were solid and the peace that was created lasted for the next half century.

Then when I had responsibility of moving 30 000 Tonga people out of the Kariba Dam basin after the wall was closed in 1957, I was allowed to attend meetings of the Dare or elders in the tribal communities who we were asking to adopt these new settlers. Problems were debated, only when consensus was reached, was it agreed that a decision had been made. Everyone was included and the decisions made were binding on everyone.

A Government of National Unity brings many of these principles into play. Parliament becomes a place of consultation and consensus, rather than conflict. Extreme points of view are neutralised and compromise, on everything, becomes essential to progress. In the context of a Tribal Ndaba or Dare, the kind of hooliganism and violence and other forms of misbehaviour that characterised the South African Parliament in the recent past, would simply not happen.

The effort by Jacob Zuma and the MK to disrupt the resumption of Constitutional order after the elections, are simply being ignored and the first sitting of the new Parliament takes place as provided in the rules. If Zuma attempts to go further he should be dealt with. He has played the tribal card but needs to understand and accept that this is the past and not the future for South Africa. The next generation is coming through and their time has come and their point of view and wishes will increasingly dominate.

Ramaphosa has so far come through with balanced and well considered perspectives, now its time to rally around the flag, set up the new Government and then put their best talents into the task of putting South Africa back on its feet.

Eddie Cross
Harare 11th of June 2024