CURTIS SINGO | Political parties should shelve ideological differences, form GNU

Once again, SA has garnered global attention, with the international media closely monitoring post-election developments.

The recently concluded seventh general elections have presented a distinctive political landscape. Though no single party obtained a clear majority, the election results have established the groundwork for a potentially transformative political scenario.

The elections’ results came after political parties campaigned to attract the attention of about 27-million registered voters expected to vote on May 29. The campaigns presented a variety of promises as the ultimate solution to the challenges now troubling voters, such as unemployment, poverty and inequalities.

The campaign strategies employed in the recent elections may not have been groundbreaking, but they did rekindle one of the fundamental tenets of democracy, as George Washington once proclaimed: “Democracy is a government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

This underscores the pivotal role of the electorate, each voter, in shaping the political landscape. The challenges that the electorate faces daily, such as unemployment, poverty and inequalities, are widely recognised and more comprehensively outlined in the country’s National Development Plan vision 2030. These are not just statistics but real issues that affect the lives of our fellow citizens, neighbours and friends.

The recent elections, with a voter turnout of 58.64% , or 16-million out of 27-million, reflect the electorate’s genuine concerns. This marked a decline from the 2019 elections, where 17-million out of 26-million voters cast their ballots, indicating a growing disengagement with the political process and raising questions about the health of our democracy.

An action to be considered should be informed by what the political parties promised during campaigning, which is the people’s government.

As political developments unfold, different political perspectives and diverging ideological views are showing up after the Government of National Unity (GNU) proposal.

The proposed GNU a testament to our nation’s democratic principles, is emerging as a potential solution. It stands as a beacon of hope, reflecting the people’s will, as none of the political parties secured an outright majority to form a government.

This scenario could see all parties coming together, led by the ruling party, which now holds 40% of the votes, to govern the nation, ushering in a new era of collaboration and progress. This unity could lead to more effective governance, addressing the pressing issues that our citizens face.

However, as the GNU gains momentum, it’s important to address the concerns about its sustainable viability. Some argue that such a coalition government could lead to political instability and gridlock as parties with differing ideologies and interests try to govern together.

While this is a valid concern, it’s crucial to remember that the alternative, a fragmented government, could lead to even more instability and gridlock. The GNU, if realised, could shape the future of SA’s governance and democratic processes, offering a promising path forward. 

However, reactions to the proposed GNU challenge us to introspect, hoping that as electorates, we understand why those political parties vehemently discourage its consideration. Such a reflection must be undertaken as political parties seem too selfish and contradictory to the message, they used to entice the electorates, which gave the percentage they are now using to discourage the formation of the GNU.

Reading from their public sentiments against the GNU, they are not concerned with the interests of the people who voted for them but their political ideologies, prompting a question of whether people eat ideologies.

The current political statements from political parties responding to the GNU proposal are concerning. They reveal a disconnect between the electorate and the political parties. The parties claim to represent the people’s interests but seem more focused on their ideologies as a prerequisite for participating in the GNU.

It is clear that political parties are exploiting the fact that voters will not delve too much into understanding the current posture of their diction, and that reflects the connection between political parties’ election campaigning strategies and selfishness is a reality despite its associated implications.

So, political parties should be truthful to their conscience and, for now, shelf their ideologies and confront the current reality soberly influenced by the interests of the people, which they have proclaimed as they seek votes.

Our political parties should be conscious of the global trend whenever such a situation as our current one prevails, and decisions should be made in the people’s interests. We should also try to learn from countries whose political systems are similar. For example, in Switzerland, the government is a coalition influenced by the outcomes of the elections, and political parties work together to form a government without any ideological debates in public.

It’s crucial to understand that failure to form the GNU could further deteriorate the trust deficit from the electorates and potentially lead to a continuation of the current challenges we face. This is a situation we must avoid for the sake of our nation’s future.

• Singo is South African diplomat in Switzerland. He writes in his personal capacity