ANC-DA coalition or collision? – Compromise is essential in order to succeed

Coalition is often pronounced “collision”. There may be a connection.

Amid talk of coalitions with the ANC, there are attempts to create instability in two DA-run metros. Collisions aplenty.

In Cape Town, thousands of commuters were stranded during a violence-plagued SA National Taxi Council stayaway, while in Tshwane, municipal workers embarked on an illegal strike.

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Although the ANC would not openly support such disruptive actions, their apologists have been vocal in blaming the DA.

Both the ANC and DA have played down any talk of a “grand coalition” after the 2024 elections. They would, wouldn’t they?

Wikipedia defines grand coalition as an “arrangement in a multiparty parliamentary system in which the two largest political parties of opposing political ideologies unite in a coalition government”.

DA federal council chair Helen Zille told The Citizen her party would “absolutely not” enter a coalition, or voting bloc, with the ANC in Ekurhuleni, for example.

Indeed, toenadering with the ANC would go against DA leader John Steenhuisen’s “moonshot pact”, aimed at keeping the ANC and EFF out of power.

A grand coalition at national level would undercut the messaging of parties trying to outdo each other in the vehemence of their opposition to the ANC.

If the ANC is the common denominator in South Africa’s woes, it makes sense to vote against the governing party.

Yet sense is not always evident in politics. Millions will still vote for the ANC.

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There are no reliable polls suggesting any party will get more votes nationally than the ANC.

If the ANC does dip below 50%, it will probably still be ahead of the DA.

In order to govern, the ANC might need only one or two smaller parties.

This, in contrast to the DA, which will need more partners than the ANC would require.

Analyst Adriaan Basson puts it thus: “Nobody in the DA who has access to the internet and a calculator can be bullish that a pact with the IFP, ActionSA, the FF Plus and a few small parties will get them to 50% of the vote next year.”

Currently, the ANC and the DA together have about 80% support among the voting public.

Voting together on issues, they would not need backing from any tiny parties.

In this way, a grand coalition between the ANC and DA would end farcical situations such as that in Joburg, where the speaker is from a party (Cope), which attracted 0.22% of the vote, while Al Jama-ah, who hold the mayorship, received 0.95%.

No wonder the ANC and DA both recommend thresholds of at least 1% or 2% before any party can participate in future coalition arrangements.

Compromise is essential in order for coalitions to succeed.

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The DA or any smaller parties entering into arrangements with the ANC will be mindful of how the National Party disintegrated after getting into bed with the ANC.

With that history, ANC strategists might want to weaken the DA before entering into formal arrangements and, then, destroying it from close quarters, as happened to the Nats.

Destabilising DA-run metros would help that cause.

Violent strikes might not be as senseless as they seem. Deliberate pre-coalition collisions?

Williams is a DA city councillor in Johannesburg