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As South Africa gears up for elections on May 29, one independent candidate- Anele Mda- is calling for profound change in the country’s politics. She declares that South Africans need change and they will keep that uppermost in their mind while they exercise the franchise on May 29.
As South Africa gears up for elections on May 29, one independent candidate- Anele Mda- is calling for profound change in the country’s politics. She declares that South Africans need change and they will keep that uppermost in their mind while they exercise the franchise on May 29.
Anela Mda outlined what South African voters would be signing up for when electing candidates to parliament in the upcoming vote. Importantly, she said the allegations against ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa who was accused of hiding as much as US$4 million at his farm before it was stolen in 2020 could not prove his non-involvement in the corruption case, though he was cleared of wrongdoing last year by a public watchdog over the scandal. Alleging that it was a “travesty of justice”, she said that civil society might not forget that incident. She came heavily against ANC campaigning in the name of Ramaphosa a person with corrupt background.
While South Africa is regarded as one of Africa’s most advanced countries, its contradictions are stark. Unemployment and poverty stand out as the most pressing issues for the majority of people. The African National Congress (ANC), once led by Nelson Mandela, has been in power ever since the end of the apartheid system of white minority rule in 1994.
But poverty, failing government services in many places, and a national unemployment rate of over 32% that all mainly affect the country’s Black majority are seen as central to the ruling party’s loss of support. Recent polls show support for the ruling ANC under 50% — and one as low as 40% — suggesting that it may be in danger of losing its parliamentary majority for the first time when the country votes on Wednesday.
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Seventy political parties are registered for the vote, the most ever, and independent candidates will be allowed to stand for the first time. Recently, th apex court disqualified the ex-president octogenarian Jacob Zuma from contesting the elections. In a harsh statement, Zuma criticized the decision. Despite these developments, political analysts claim that Ramaphosa might be back in power with the support of allies. The coalition government will have many checks and balances, wherein the powers of the president will be considerably compromised, leaving less room for carrying out arduous reforms the sagging South African economy badly needs.
